If the FIRM Wanted Me To Have a Wife
by robertwnielsen
Summary: Michael overhears a comment Hawke never meant anyone to hear.
1. Chapter 1

_If The FIRM Wanted Me To Have a Wife, Chap. 1_

A/N—First of all, gotta thank **VIDZ** for permission to "Airwolf-ize" his great story _If The Navy Wanted Me to Have a Wife. _As usual, DPB or Universal owns the series, the characters, etc., I'm just taking them out to play again. As to a time frame, this will be set after the S3 episode _Fortune Teller_, and includes, once again, my character of Judge Ronald Clevenger.

A/N #2—Thanks as always go to **Riabhach, Sirius7, Ms. Anonymous, jareya, bamboozlepig, and OldSFfan** for their reviews/feedback.

_Summary—_Michael overhears a comment Hawke never meant anyone to hear.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen," Stringfellow Hawke said as he surveyed the gathering in the living room of his cabin—his surrogate father and mentor Dominic Santini, their co-worker Caitlin O'Shannessy, Archangel, and Marella—who all met after the completion of a successful mission for the FIRM, "I don't know about any of you, but I'm glad that whole mess is behind us, and that everybody's okay."

"You and me both, String," Dom piped up from behind the bar. "I was beginning to worry that we might not get there in time. Bobby's drawing really saved our tails—and his father's."

"You can say that again, Dom," String replied, smiling at his friend and mentor. After rescuing Robert Phelps from a group that was trying to steal his advanced aircraft designs, Hawke had invited the team up to the cabin for dinner to celebrate the fact that Robert had been reunited with his son Bobby a few days ago. Hawke smiled as he recalled how Bobby's drawing of the house where he'd been held had allowed them to rescue his father.

"_Hey, I got an idea," Dom said. "Bobby, you saw the front of that house when they brought you there, didn't you?"_

"_Mm-hmm."_

"_You think you could draw it for me?"_

"_I need a paper!"_

"_No, no...I want you to take that graphic pad with the light pen, and you draw it right on there. I can see it right back here, on my monitor. Can you do that for me?" Bobby smiled under his flight helmet as Hawke handed the pad and light pen to him._

"_Sure, I got one at home!" _

"_Great idea, Dom," String had said from the commander's chair. "We'll do a horizontal scan."_

_A few minutes later, Bobby finished his sketch._

"_This is the house."_

_It hadn't taken long for Airwolf's scanners to find a match to Bobby's drawing, and for Dom to locate Robert and revive him. A few days later, Hawke smiled as he glanced at the pencil sketch Bobby had drawn for him and given to him at the clinic where Robert was recuperating. "You look good smiling!" Bobby had said, and Caitlin had given Bobby a look that seemed to say, "You're darned right he does!"_

"How're they doing?" Hawke asked. "Bobby and Robert, I mean."

"Robert got out of the hospital yesterday," Michael said, smiling. "He and Bobby were headed up to Crystal Lake to go fishing, like he said that day at the clinic." Hawke nodded as he recalled hearing Robert say he was excited to be fishing with a full-fledged hero. "I'm surprised you didn't invite them up here to fish, Hawke."

"Guess I didn't think about it, Michael," Hawke replied as Caitlin and Marella walked away from the group to talk privately, while Dom and Hawke remained in the living room. Dom had something that had been on his mind ever since they'd rescued Robert and Bobby Phelps, and decided it was time to talk frankly with String about it.

"Y'know, String," Dom said, "I've been thinking...seeing how close Robert came to dying really made me stop and think about things...Robert's a lot younger than I am, y'know...and it'd just make me feel a whole lot better if...if I knew that there was somebody around who'd take care of you when I'm gone." Dom cast a glance towards where Caitlin and Marella stood talking, a gesture that Hawke did not fail to notice.

_Not again, Dom!_ Hawke said to himself, sighing. He recalled Dom saying how Caitlin was "kinda cute," a year previously, after they'd first met her in Pope County, Texas, and the myriad of times Dom had tried to get Hawke to see Caitlin as something more than the good friend he already considered her to be. _I'm not getting into this with you, Dom,_ Hawke said to himself.

"Dom," Hawke said, shaking his head, "I'm not getting into this with you again. You're still here, so I've got somebody to take care of me...and I like my life just the way it is. Plus..." Hawke stopped himself before he mentioned the curse he felt like he had on himself—that everyone he loved, or _might love, _would die. _There's no way I want to add Caitlin to that list,_ Hawke said to himself, even as he noticed Dom's expression turn to one of anger.

_Oh, for cryin' out loud, not that tired old excuse again!_ Dom shouted to himself, careful to keep himself from exploding. _I'm really getting sick of that, String. _Of course, he knew about Hawke's parents, Alan and Jane, and how they were killed in a boating accident out on the lake when Hawke was twelve years old. Then Hawke's girlfriend Kelly was killed in a car accident right before he and Saint John were supposed to have shipped out for Vietnam. And, his older brother Saint John had disappeared when he wasn't picked up after he and String went down on the same mission..._but we don't know where Sinj is, String,_ Dom said to himself angrily, _so as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't count!_ Dom knew that, if he ever said that aloud, String would probably hate him forever, so he kept his thoughts about String's older brother to himself..._even though I know it's the truth,_ Dom said to himself.

Dom remembered Gabrielle Ademaur, the pilot who had flown Michael up to the cabin two years ago, to inform Hawke of Moffet's theft of Airwolf. _I really thought those two were gonna get married,_ Dom said, before he remembered seeing her laying in the middle of the Libyan desert, severely sunburned and nearly dead of thirst. _If I'd just been able to figure out those scanners a little bit quicker, _Dom had said later, _we might've been able to save her._

"Besides," Hawke said with a touch of humor in his voice, "you know the old saying—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've _assigned_ me one!" Out of the corner of his eye, Dom saw Michael react to Hawke's statement. _I wonder..._Dom said to himself.

"_If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!"_ Hawke said, unaware that Michael had heard him. _Actually, the old saying is, 'If the Navy wanted me to have a wife...' but you know something, Stringfellow Hawke? That's a terrific idea,_ Michael said to himself, glancing outside at Caitlin and Marella. _And I think I know the perfect candidate. Hell, she already cares about him...that much, I know. _He subtly walked outside, along with Lauren, his pilot, curious to know what the other two ladies were talking about.

"Marella, you know what I mean," Caitlin was saying. "I've felt like that about String for a long time...I think ever since I came here from Texas lookin' for him. And...when he kissed me on that movie set last year, I really thought String felt somethin' more than just friendship for me." She sighed and shook her head. "But who am I kidding, anyway? It doesn't matter how much I love String...he doesn't feel the same way about me, so I'm just kidding myself if I keep wishin' for something else." Michael was stunned, but not too surprised, at Caitlin's words. _That just confirms what I suspected...she loves him. And, in my opinion, Cait would be good for Hawke. Well, Caitlin, _Michael said to himself, _be careful what you wish for._ He silently turned and walked back to the cabin, plotting his next moves.

"String," Dom was saying, "why do you keep kicking yourself over Gabrielle, anyway? How many times have I told you, Moffet was _out of his mind?_ Even if he did know you two were seeing each other, that's not why he killed her, for God's sake!"

"Dom's right, Hawke," Michael piped up. "Moffet would have killed anyone he perceived to be a threat...no matter who they were involved with. Remember, he almost killed me, Marella, Lauren, and everyone at Red Star the day he stole Airwolf." Michael glanced over at Hawke, and was not surprised to see Hawke's face darkening.

_Whose side are you on, anyway, Michael_? Hawke said to himself. "I know, Michael," Hawke said out loud, and Archangel relaxed...just a bit. "But, it's really none of your business, you know." Hawke continued, glowering at the older man.

"I know, Hawke," Michael said, turning as Caitlin and Marella came back into the cabin. "Just...think about what I said, will you?"

"Sure, Michael," Hawke said with a shake of his head. "I'll...I'll think about it."

For his part, Hawke hoped Dom hadn't picked up on the sadness that was behind his statement. _Sure, I've dated a few women,_ Hawke said to himself, _but never anything serious. And, even though I'd never admit this to Dom, especially after I said that I liked my life the way it is...sometimes, I do get a little lonely. It...it might be nice to have someone. But who am I kidding? With all the baggage I've got, who'd want me? _Hawke asked himself.

Caitlin noticed Hawke's expression just then, and guessed what he was thinking. _Oh, String...don't you know how badly I want you? Even with all those ghosts from your past you carry around, there's nothin' I'd love more than to be your wife...if you'd ever pull your head outta your ass and realize how I feel about you...How much...I love you, Stringfellow Hawke._ Just then, Michael walked up and said, "Caitlin, could I speak with you a moment?" He led her outside for a few moments, and Hawke saw them walk out, wondering what Michael could be talking to Caitlin about that he wasn't involved in. A few minutes later, though, Michael and Caitlin walked back into the cabin, Caitlin wearing a very satisfied grin on her face. When Hawke asked her what she was smiling about, Caitlin replied, "Nothing much, String," and left it at that.

As Lauren, Marella, and Michael got up to leave later that evening, Michael leaned close to Caitlin and whispered, "Marella will see you in the morning." Caitlin nodded, subtly, and hoped that Hawke hadn't heard anything. As she and Dom left to go back to the hangar, Caitlin said, "Dom...I may not be at the hangar when you and String get there tomorrow. Somethin'...somethin' came up."

Dom gazed at her, realized she wasn't talking beyond that, and said, "Okay, Cait...we'll hold the fort down when we get there, until you get back from whatever it is you're doing." Caitlin hated not being totally honest with the man who had become like a second father to her, but she felt like she didn't have a choice. _Michael said to keep it quiet, _Caitlin thought to herself as the helicopter landed back at the hangar, and she got into her car to drive home. Inside, though, she was a bundle of nerves at the thought of what Michael had told her. Knowing she couldn't drive home just yet because of the thoughts going through her mind, she sat for a few minutes and thought over what she and Michael had discussed.

"_Caitlin," Michael began, "Hawke just made a...very interesting comment."_

"_Really?" Caitlin asked. "What'd he say this time?"_

_Michael smiled. "Well, he and Dom were talking about the future...and how Dom wished there were someone around to take care of Hawke when..." He couldn't continue, but Caitlin instinctively knew what he was talking about. **When Dom dies,** Caitlin said to herself, then pulled herself back to the present when she heard Michael speaking again._

"_Anyway," Michael continued, "Hawke said, and I quote, 'Besides, you know the old saying—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!' Now, this may well be one of the craziest ideas I've ever had...but..."_

_Caitlin thought she'd explode, right then and there. "You're gonna assign someone to marry String?" She demanded, and Michael hoped Hawke hadn't heard her outburst._

"_Well, in a manner of speaking, yes," Michael said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "What I'm suggesting, Caitlin...I overheard you talking to Marella a few minutes ago...and I caught your expression back at the clinic when Bobby gave String his drawing...it's obvious to me how you feel about Hawke...and I have to say, you might be just the person to prove to him that this 'curse' of his doesn't really exist...and I was wondering if..."_

_Caitlin's expression turned from anger to shock. "Wait a second, Michael...you're not sayin' that you're gonna..._**order**_ String to marry me?" While the thought of being married to Hawke was something Caitlin had thought about more frequently over the past few weeks, especially after she almost lost him to John Bradford Horn, she wasn't sure if this was the way she wanted it to happen._

"_Not...in so many words, Caitlin," Michael had said. "Hawke said the FIRM would assign him a wife...so, if you both are agreeable to this...assignment..."_

_Caitlin thought about it...for about two seconds. "Michael, if this idea of yours works...and String doesn't decide to kill both of us, then next to Hawke, you'll be my favorite person in this whole world," she said, smiling as she hugged him. **I don't want to think about what might happen if this doesn't ****work, **Michael said to himself, as his jaw ached from where String had punched him two years ago, after learning that Gabrielle was being sent to Libya._

"_Of course, you'll be free to invite anyone you wish to witness the ceremony. In fact, once you two decide when you'd like to be married, just let me know, and my friend, Judge Ronald Clevenger, will perform the ceremony." Caitlin had smiled, knowing that this impromptu "assignment", if everything went as smoothly as Michael seemed to think it would, would give her the man of her dreams...forever. _

Finally, she started her car and headed for home, anxious and hopeful all at the same time. As she drove, however, Caitlin couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread over what Michael had said. _Sure, if it works...I'll get everything I ever wanted,_ she said to herself when she got home. _But if Hawke balks at the idea...he'll never speak to Michael...or _**me...**_again. And I just couldn't handle that. I—I don't even want to think about it,_ she said to herself later that evening when she climbed into bed. _I'll just have to think positive, and hope for the best. _

The next morning, when Hawke and Dom arrived at the hangar, Dom was not surprised to see that Caitlin hadn't arrived yet. "Where's Cait?" Hawke asked.

"Oh, she said she might be runnin' a little late today," Dom said, shaking his head as he and String opened up the hangar. "Said somethin' came up when we were flyin' back last night." String replied, "Okay, Dom. Whatever you say."

Meanwhile, at Knightsbridge, Caitlin had arrived and was discussing the plan with Marella and Michael. "It's not that I don't _want _to marry him, Marella...it's just..."

"I think I understand," Marella said, smiling. "You're worried about Hawke not going along with this idea...aren't you?"

"You guessed it," Caitlin said, nodding. "I mean...this idea of Michael's sounded great last night...but when I got home, I started worryin' about what's gonna happen today...and I think if things don't go the way Michael thinks they will, then I'm gonna probably pack up my stuff and go home...to Texas. I just...I couldn't stay here, knowing..." She felt her nerves getting the best of her again, and Marella tried to soothe her friend's worries.

"Cait, relax," Marella said, bringing over a cup of tea. "I don't know why...but I think everything's going to be just fine." Caitlin smiled nervously and accepted the tea, wondering what was going on back at the hangar. _What's Hawke gonna say when the limo gets there? _Caitlin asked herself, even as she tried to force herself to relax.

A few minutes later, String was surprised to see the FIRM's limousine pull up and Lauren step out, smiling at String and Dom.

"Mr. Hawke, Mr. Santini, Michael wants you at Knightsbridge right away." Lauren said, gesturing to the open door of the limo. Silently, both men climbed into the limo for the ride to Michael's headquarters.

"Lauren, what's this all about?" Hawke demanded. "And why didn't we wait for Caitlin?"

"That's for Michael to say," Lauren replied, and the conversation ended at that, much to Hawke's frustration.

By the time they'd reached Michael's office, Hawke was fuming, and Dom was more than a little concerned...and confused. "All right, Michael," Hawke said as they marched into his office, "what's so all-fired important that...?" He stopped as he recognized Caitlin standing a little ways away from Michael. "Cait? What are you doing here? And...how the hell did you get here before us?"

"Hawke," Michael began, sensing Cait's nervousness, "last night at the cabin, you said something...very interesting to Dominic." Hawke froze as he recalled the words he was afraid Michael was about to turn on him. _"Besides...if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!"_

_Aw, no,_ Hawke said to himself. _I didn't know Michael heard me say that. When am I ever gonna learn to keep my big mouth shut?_ He suddenly recalled seeing Marella whispering something to Caitlin before they all left last night, and recalled Dom telling him that Cait had said she had something to do this morning. _Marella must've picked Cait up before we got to the hangar,_ Hawke said to himself, those pieces of the mystery falling into place.

"Hawke," Michael continued, "after what you said yesterday, the FIRM has decided that...you need a wife. So..." He glanced at Caitlin, who shyly moved towards them. "Since you two already know each other, and from what I've been told, there's definite attraction beyond simple friendship, I think it's only right..."

"Michael," Hawke said, the hostility in his voice obvious to everyone in the room, "are you _ordering _me to marry Cait?"

Marella suddenly recalled her words to Caitlin earlier—_I don't know why...but I think everything's __going to be just fine. _However, as she glanced at Hawke, she said to herself, _I may end up eating those __words...Hawke's got a look on his face that could burn through _**lead.** She pulled herself back into the conversation when she heard Michael answer Hawke.

Michael shook his head, remembering what Caitlin had told him. "Not so much an _order,_ Hawke...consider it...an "assignment"...one that I think you'd be foolish to refuse." He glanced over at Caitlin and saw the combination of nerves, and her love for Hawke, evident in her blue-green eyes.

"So," Michael continued, "you two are to get married ASAP, and...at some point...start working on a future Airwolf pilot or crewmember," Michael said, noting the look of embarrassment that came over Caitlin's face.

"String," Dom cautioned, noticing his friend's expression, "I had nothing to do with this...you know that, right?"

"Yeah, Dom, I know," String sighed, then added, "And...I don't blame you." _If anything, I blame myself,_ Hawke grumbled quietly. _It was my big mouth that started this whole mess. _He turned on Michael. "All right, Michael...if that's the way you're gonna play it..." He stopped as Caitlin walked up to him, and stared deep into his eyes.

"String," she began nervously, "There's...somethin' I've been meaning to tell you for the longest time...but I never found the right way to say it. But now," she paused for a minute, gathering her courage, then continued, "considering what just happened, I feel like I want to say it—I love you, Stringfellow Hawke...and I've loved you since the day I came back here lookin' for you, last year." She paused for a moment, then continued, "And I know what you're worryin' about—the curse. But, String...look at the times I've been in danger since I've known you...Holly, the hijacking, Villers, and that other air service we were investigating...not to mention what happened with Bogan when I first met you...when Jenkins and Del Lomo kidnapped me...and of course, when you were kidnapped by Horn, _I _was the one who rescued you, Stringfellow Hawke...and even after all that—I'm _still here._ And...you love Bobby...and Le Van...and most of all, Dom...and they're all still here. Look—I won't make any promises, like I know happened before...but, String, I know this much—I know how I feel about you, and that I'd like nothin' better than to spend the rest of my life—however long that is, with you." When Hawke looked down at Caitlin, he saw the fear...and the _love_...shining together in her eyes.

"Cait," Hawke said, hesitantly, "this is crazy...we can't get married just because we've been ordered to..." Caitlin suddenly reached up, wrapped her arms around Hawke's neck, and pulled his head down to hers, capturing his lips with hers in a deep and passionate kiss, not caring about the three people staring at them. At that moment, the entire universe centered around her and Hawke, and she had only one goal—to convince Hawke, even though they were being _ordered, _or, in Michael's words, "assigned" to get married, that she wanted to be with him, to be married to him, more than anything she'd ever wanted in her whole life.

When she separated them, once she'd caught her breath, Caitlin said, "Oh, to heck with the 'assignment,' String! I love you—and I want to be your wife. What difference does it make how it happened anyway?" Caitlin demanded, then continued, "I guess...I guess it comes down to one question—How do _you _feel, Stringfellow Hawke?" She released her hold on him and stepped back, waiting for his answer.

If Caitlin could have seen inside Hawke's mind and heart at that moment, the confusing whirlwind of emotions that he was experiencing would probably have made her sick to her stomach. _I mean...I care about Cait as a good friend...but love? _He sighed internally and admitted, _Yeah...I do love her...and __I've loved her practically since the day she came lookin' for me...I've just...I've just been too stupid to admit it...until now. And...she's right, _Hawke admitted to himself, feeling the walls he'd built around his heart crumbling, _she has stayed alive, even with everything we've already been through...not to mention that she was the one who convinced Michael to let her and Dom rescue me from Horn...and, she does know karate. I felt that myself not too long ago, _Hawke said to himself, remembering the kick to the chest Caitlin had given him just before she administered the antidote to the brainwashing drugs Horn had used on him. _And, she's right about the rest...about Bobby, Le Van...and Dom. They are all still alive. _Suddenly, he felt the air in the room change, and he knew what he had..._what I want to do, _Hawke corrected himself.

"Cait," Hawke said, moving closer to her again and taking her in his arms, "I...I love you, too." He lowered his head to her and kissed her again, to the delight of everyone else in the room.

"So, you'll follow through with the..."assignment," Hawke?" Michael asked when they separated again.

"Yeah, Michael," Hawke replied, shaking his head, "and...thanks. It might be the strangest way two people have ever gotten together, but...for some reason, it fits. Don't ask me why."

Laughing, Michael replied, "You might have a point there, Hawke. You just might have a point there."

Just before Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin left to go back to the hangar, Marella tapped Caitlin on the shoulder, and when Caitlin turned around, Marella smiled and said, "See? I told you so. Everything worked out just fine."

Smiling, but with tears in her eyes, Caitlin replied, "Yeah, it did—and, thanks, Marella. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Marella replied, happy and relieved to see that Hawke seemed to be taking this change in his relationship with Caitlin positively.

The next day, Hawke proposed properly to Caitlin, with his mother's engagement ring that he'd received when his parents died. There was a note with her personal effects, saying that if she died before either of her sons married, whichever of her sons, String or Saint John, got married first, should give the ring to his intended. "So," String said as he slipped the ring onto the third finger of Caitlin's left hand, "now, the ring belongs to you."

"Oh, String," Caitlin said, wiping a few tears out of her eyes with her right hand, "it's...it's beautiful. And I can't believe it...it fits perfectly." She threw her arms around String and kissed him again.

"String," Dom said after they separated, "did Michael say how soon you should get married?"

"He did say ASAP," Hawke replied, just as they heard the phone ring in the office. Dom walked over to the office and answered it, Hawke and Caitlin following close behind.

"Santini Air," Dom said, then brightened. "Oh, hello, _Michael,"_ he said, then covered the phone with his free hand and said, "Speak of the Archangel." Hawke noticed the emphasis Dom put on Michael's name. "Yeah...well, they're officially engaged now...String gave her a ring this morning, so I guess..." Hawke suddenly grabbed the phone out of Dom's hand.

"Michael. Yes, Cait and I are officially engaged...I think the sooner, the better, but I also think we ought to give her family a little warning," Hawke added, remembering some of the discussions that Caitlin and her mother had recently been having, most of which had quickly turned to arguments.

"Well," Michael said after a few moments' pause, "would next Friday be too late?" He'd called his friend Judge Ronald Clevenger on another line, and a week from Friday was the first time that the judge had available.

"Cait?" Hawke asked, covering the receiver with his hand for a moment. "Michael says a week from Friday...would that be too late? Or, too soon?"

"As far as I'm concerned, not soon _enough,_ String," Caitlin replied, then added, "but it's okay...I'll have to call Mom when you're done talking to Michael anyway, and tell her."

"Michael," Hawke said, turning the phone back to him again, "a week from Friday will be fine. All right, Michael. Thank you." Hawke hung up the phone and glanced at Caitlin, whose eyes were shining with anticipation.

"I've gotta call Mom," she said excitedly, disengaging herself from Hawke and picking the phone up again. A few moments later, she heard her mother's voice. "Hello?"

"Mom? Mom, it's Cait."

"Cait? Caitlin? What are you doin' callin' me like this, for heaven's sake? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, Mom...I'm not hurt. In fact, right now, I'm the happiest gal in the whole wide world. I hope you're sittin' down, Mom...'cause you're not gonna believe this." She took a deep breath, then, feeling Hawke's arm around her shoulders, she plunged ahead. "Mom...Hawke and I...we're getting married." Caitlin suddenly pulled the phone away from her ear as a blood-curdling scream erupted on the other end.

"Mom? Mom, are you all right?" Caitlin asked, more than a little concerned.

"Yeah, Caity, I'm fine...except I think my hearing's goin' in my old age...either that or I'm just goin' plumb loco...but I coulda sworn you said that you and that Hawke fella were getting married." Caitlin smiled, having expected that her mother wouldn't believe her announcement.

"Your hearing's just fine, Mom," Caitlin replied, even as she stared at her engagement ring. "And no, Mom...you're not goin' crazy. Hawke finally came around to our way of thinking...and we're gonna get married a week from Friday. And...I'd sure love it if you and Erin could be here."

"Oh, Cait," her mother replied, and Caitlin could hear the tears in her mother's voice, "you better believe we'll be there! A stampede of buffalo couldn't stop us from comin' to see you get married! Heck, Erin's probably gonna want to be your maid of honor...Cait, I'm so happy for you, I could just bust! Um...is that Hawke fella there?"

"He's right here, Mom," Caitlin said, handing the phone to String. "Mom wants to talk to you," she said, smiling and slipping her arm around String's waist, to let him know she was there for him.

"Stringfellow Hawke, _welcome _to our family!" Caitlin's mother shouted. "You don't know how long I've been hopin' I'd be able to say that!"

"Thank you, Mrs. O'Shannessy," Hawke began, but Caitlin's mother interrupted him.

"Hold it right there! Don't you be callin' me 'Mrs. O'Shannessy,' for Pete's sake, Stringfellow Hawke!" Caitlin's mother retorted. "You're a part of this family now, like I said before...so you call me 'Maggie' from now on, you hear me?"

"Okay...Maggie," String replied, smiling down at Caitlin. "Listen...there's one thing. I know you're probably thinking about having a big church wedding and all that...but I'm not real comfortable with churches...I was thinking just Cait and me, Dominic, you and Erin, along with a couple of friends of mine, and a justice of the peace, up at the cabin...if that's okay with you."

"Well, Stringfellow," Maggie sighed, and Hawke immediately began to worry, "that's not the first choice I would've had for Caitlin's wedding...but if that's the way you two want it, then okay. So Caitlin says it'll be next Friday?"

"That's right," String replied, adding, "We'll do a rehearsal at my cabin on Thursday, and I'll be sending plane tickets for you, and Erin tomorrow."

"That's mighty nice of you, Stringfellow Hawke," Maggie said, then added, "Let me talk to Caitlin again, please?"

"Sure, Maggie," Hawke replied, handing the phone back to his fiancé.

"So, we'll see you then, Mom?" Caitlin asked.

"Yep...Erin and I'll see you next Thursday, Caitlin," Maggie replied. Suddenly her tone turned decidedly dark. "Oh, no...Caity girl...I just had a terrible thought. This happened awful sudden like...and I'm just wonderin' about something. You're not...?"

"_MOTHER!"_ Caitlin shouted, embarrassed, as she knew what the next word out of her mother's mouth would have been—_pregnant._ "No, Mom," Caitlin said, embarrassed, "I'm not pregnant...and I'm sorry for yelling just now."

"Oh, that's okay, Cait," her mother replied. "I'm just...relieved that you're not pregnant. But...I sure hope that's not gonna be a permanent condition, now that you're getting married?"

"Mom, that's really none of your business," Caitlin replied, now even more embarrassed.

"All right, Cait," her mother replied, not entirely satisfied. Then just like that, her tone brightened again. "I'm so happy for you, Caity girl! And your daddy would be happy, too, if he'd been here to see this day."

"I know, Mom," Caitlin said, her voice shaking momentarily. "I know. Okay...we'll see you then, Mom. Love you, too. 'Bye!" Caitlin hung up the phone and turned to Hawke, her eyes shining again.

"Something wrong, Cait?" String asked.

"Oh, Mom was just sayin' how she thought we were only getting married 'cause I was...pregnant," Caitlin said, embarrassed. "And also how much she wished Daddy could be here to see me get married and walk me down the aisle," Caitlin added, "which reminds me...Hey, Dom!" She called out to Dom, who was standing a few feet away from the office.

"Yeah, Cait?" Dom asked as he walked up.

"Dom," Caitlin said, taking hold of his hands, "There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, kid," Dom replied, smiling. "Ask away!"

"All right," Caitlin said nervously. "Dom...I would...I would really be honored if you would walk me down the aisle at our wedding." Dom was startled at the request, and didn't respond immediately. Finally, he felt like he could answer Cait.

"Me?" Dom said after a moment. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, Dom," Caitlin replied, smiling warmly at him. "I mean, you've been like a father to me ever since I came here...not to mention pushin' as hard as you did to try and get String and me together...and you've been a wonderful father to String...so...would you do this for String...and me?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Cait," Dom said, his eyes watering as he thought of his own daughter, Sally Anne, who he'd never be able to walk down the aisle. Finally he said, "Cait, the honor would be all mine." He pulled her into a warm, friendly embrace as String moved up to him and said, "Thanks, Dom."

"Yeah," Caitlin replied. "Thanks, Dom."

A few days later, everyone was surprised to see the FIRM limousine pull up to the hangar again.

"What now?" Hawke demanded as Lauren stepped out.

"Michael would like all of you to come to Knightsbridge immediately," Lauren replied as she opened the rear door to the limo. Without a word, Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin climbed in and the limo started off toward Knightsbridge.

"I don't suppose it would do any good to"—Hawke started, but Lauren cut him off.

"Michael will explain when we get there," Lauren said, effectively ending the conversation.

By the time the trio had reached Michael's office, String was once again fuming. Caitlin reached for his hand and took it in her own, and when Hawke turned to look at her, she smiled up at him and said, "Relax, String." He forced himself to calm down, even smiling slightly at Caitlin as Michael walked into the office.

"Relax, everyone," Michael said, smiling at the group. "This isn't a mission. This is—well...consider this...a wedding present, Hawke." He stopped as the doors opened and Marella led another man into the office.

String looked at the new arrival for a moment, not believing what he was seeing. "S—Saint John? Is it...really you?" Hawke asked as he fought back tears. _I've gotta be sure,_ Hawke said to himself, remembering how a group of terrorists had disguised a man as Saint John before, as part of a plot to steal Airwolf.

"DNA tests confirm it, Hawke," Marella replied, knowing what String was thinking. "This is Saint John Hawke—no doubts about it this time."

"Yeah, little brother," the man standing in front of him replied. "It's me. I'm home, String." Without thinking, String let go of Caitlin's hand and ran over to his older brother, engulfing him in a friendly embrace which Dom joined a few seconds later. The three men held each other for several minutes, until String finally said, "Cait...come over here. Saint John...meet Caitlin O'Shannessy...my fiancé."

"It's a pleasure...hold it. _What_ did you just say?" Saint John demanded, confused. "_Fianc__é__? _You're getting _married, _little brother? Man, I have been gone a long time!" Everyone laughed as Saint John continued, "Well, Caitlin...first off, let me say, it's a pleasure to meet you, and welcome to our family. String, there has _got _to be a story behind this."

"Yeah, Sinj, there's a story behind it all right," String acknowledged. Marella brought in coffee for everyone, and String told Saint John the story of how he and Caitlin had met, and were just a few days away from being married. _Of course I have to leave out the part where Michael "assigned" us to do it,_ String said to himself, smiling, _but that's just details._

"Well," Saint John said when the story was finished, "I'm sure surprised at this news...I mean, after Kelly, I didn't think you'd ever get this serious about anybody again, little brother...but I'm looking forward to your wedding day next week. You're getting married at the cabin, then?"

"Yeah, Sinj," Hawke replied, "and I would really like it if..."

"You even have to ask, little brother? It would be an honor," Saint John replied.

"I just have one question, Sinj," String said. "Where have you been all these years?"

Saint John went on to explain how, after being freed from the NVA prison camp, he'd planned to come back to the States and reunite with String and Dom...but during the debriefings, agents from another division of the CIA had stopped him and the other members of 1st Air Cav that were rescued with him, and suggested they form a kind of clandestine ops unit—capable of recon, strike, and a multitude of other operations. "I figured you and Dom thought I was dead anyway, String," Saint John said sorrowfully, "so I didn't see the harm in it. If I'd known how long you've been looking for me...I never woulda taken the assignment...or I would've found a way to get back here a lot sooner...anyway, a few days ago, some of Michael's people found us, and informed us that our services were no longer needed...so, here I am. And," he said, smiling at Caitlin, "it appears I've arrived just in time."

"Saint John," String began, and he saw his older brother tense up, "I hope you realize that I should be absolutely _furious_ about all this...but, I—I just can't be. Heck, if the roles were reversed, I might've done the same thing. So...I forgive you, Sinj...I'm just glad you're home!" String smiled at his older brother, and Saint John, relieved, returned the gesture.

"Michael, who the _hell _is this, and _what the hell _did he do with my kid brother?" Saint John demanded, but everyone saw the spark of humor in his eyes. "Oh, I'm just kidding you, String...but," he continued, glancing at Caitlin, "I think I know what's happened here. Caitlin, whatever magic you've worked on String, please, don't ever stop."

"Don't you worry about that, Saint John," Caitlin replied, smiling at String's older brother. "After everything I've been through to get this guy, I'm not letting him go for a_ long time!"_

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Saint John said, smiling at both String and Caitlin.

"Saint John," Marella said, knowing there was a discussion that needed to be had, "I—I have some things I need you to look over. Could you come with me, please?"

"Sure, Marella," Saint John said, winking at String, Dom, and Caitlin as he stood up. As soon as the door to the office closed, Michael turned back to the group.

"Well...first of all, Stringfellow, I have something to tell you—even though our deal is now moot, with Saint John being home, I had a long discussion/argument with Zeus yesterday—and, I'm pleased to tell you that he came around to my way of thinking...that Airwolf, in the hands of you three, is the best field tool we have. So, for our purposes, she's all yours...provided you continue flying her, as needed, for us." Michael waited a few moments to gauge everyone's reaction, and was not surprised to see their jaws collectively drop.

"You're—you're serious, Michael?" Dom demanded. "The Lady...is ours, just like that?"

"Yes, Dominic," Michael replied. "I'm serious. Now, that doesn't mean another agency like the DOD, NSA, or CIA might not try to recover Airwolf, like Bogard's Department of Public Security did...but it does mean that I can run official interference for you. Now," Michael continued, "I know you've probably been wondering what Marella and I will say to Caitlin's mother on Friday." Hawke's nod confirmed what Michael had been thinking. "Well, for that day, we will just appear to be old friends of your father's...nothing more, nothing less."

"Thank you, Michael," Hawke said, relieved that Michael had thought about what he would say if Maggie, or Erin, became curious. "We appreciate that." He glanced over at Caitlin and saw her smile at him.

Over the course of the next week, Saint John started coming to Santini Air to help out, and saw String and Caitlin going out somewhere every night. As the nights went on, Saint John realized how much Caitlin and String loved each other, and the effect that their relationship was having on his younger brother, and one night, he stayed with Dom until String brought Caitlin back from a date.

"Can you believe it, Dom?" Saint John asked one night. "String's face has got to be _killing _him from all that smiling. But it does look good, doesn't it?"

"You better believe it does, Sinj," Dom said with a smile of his own. _Thank you, God, for letting me live long enough to see this,_ Dom said when he heard the Jeep pull up, and saw Hawke kiss Caitlin good-night. _Now, if you don't mind...I'd like to hang around long enough to see my grandkids. Is that okay, God?_ Dom recalled Michael's words from a few days ago—"..._at some point...start working on a future Airwolf pilot or crewmember." Although, I'd prefer a little granddaughter—with String's eyes and Cait's red hair. That'd be nice...is that okay, God?_ Dom said to himself, hoping he knew the answer. _And besides...girls can fly, too—Cait's proof enough of that,_ Dom added to himself.

On the night before the wedding, String took Caitlin up to the cabin, where her mother, Erin, Saint John, and Dom were waiting for them, along with Judge Clevenger. The rehearsal did not take long, and everyone soon sat around the dinner table enjoying Dom's spaghetti and garlic bread.

"String," Maggie began hesitantly, "There's something I need to say to you. I—I owe you an apology for all the mean things I ever said...or wrote to Cait about you. I can see now that you're a danged good man, Stringfellow Hawke, and I'm proud—and very happy—that you're gonna be part of this family."

"Thank you, Maggie," String said with a smile. "And I accept your apology, even though I don't think I really deserve it. Let's face it—I was being incredibly stupid about Caitlin for a long time...and you were just telling her, and by extension, _me, _how you felt." Maggie smiled at him as they finished dinner.

"That's mighty nice of you, String," Maggie replied. From the look on her mother's face just then, Caitlin knew Maggie was re-evaluating her whole opinion of String. _Thank goodness,_ Caitlin said to herself. _String and my mom getting along is just another worry off my mind._

Later that evening, Dom took Maggie, Erin, Saint John and Caitlin back to the hangar, leaving String alone in the cabin. He took a quick look around the cabin as he realized how his life was changing..._and it's a good change,_ he mused to himself as he went upstairs to bed. _Like I said before,_ Hawke said to himself as he fell asleep, _it's a weird way to do it...but I'm happy to be marrying Cait...maybe this is what was supposed to happen._

The next morning, Hawke was showered and dressed in a sweater and jeans when Michael, Dom and Saint John arrived. Michael had assured Hawke a few days prior that their marriage records were being sealed with a Top Secret Umbra classification. "It's the least I can do," Michael had said, "after sort of forcing you into this." Michael had grinned nervously at Hawke, and was relieved when Hawke grinned back at him.

"Thank you, Michael," String replied. "Cait and I appreciate that."

"Mornin', String!" Dom called out. "You ready for this?"

"Yeah, Dom," String replied. "I'm ready. I never thought this would happen...but I'm ready."

"Come on, String," Saint John said, slapping his younger brother on the back, "let's get you upstairs and changed." The two men went upstairs to the sleeping loft, Dom following close behind.

"Ah, String," Dom said a few minutes later as they finished dressing, "it was a good day when Cait came to the hangar looking for you...even if you were too bullheaded to realize it." String smiled as he began fiddling with his tie, and Saint John moved to help him.

"Here, let me help you with that," Saint John said, shaking his head as he fastened the tie. "I gotta admit, String, you clean up pretty nice." Saint John teased his younger brother as he slipped on his jacket.

"Thanks...I _think," _String replied, grinning. He turned to Dom and said, "You're right, Dom...and as far as my being bullheaded...well, that's just...me, I guess." Saint John and Dom both laughed, but they both knew String was right.

An hour later, String turned his head towards a sound only he could hear. A few moments later, Saint John and Michael caught the sound of a helicopter coming towards the cabin. "Promise me you'll show me how to do that someday, little brother," Saint John said as Michael moved towards the window to check on the new arrivals. A moment later, he was herding String, Dom and Saint John towards the back door. "It's Cait and the family," Michael said simply, knowing that Lauren, Marella, and Judge Clevenger would be arriving shortly also.

Later, Erin came around to the back of the cabin. "There you guys are," she said, smiling at String and Saint John. "I've been looking all over for you."

"No wonder you couldn't find us, Erin," String replied with a grin. "We haven't _been _all over." Erin stifled a grin as she turned to String.

"String, I've got somethin' I forgot to tell you last night," Erin said, and both String and Dom immediately tensed. "I'm sure glad you came to your senses about Cait...but I'm only gonna warn you once—you hurt her, and I'm comin' back here to beat your brains in myself! I taught Cait everything she knows about fightin', I'll have you know!" She smiled when she said it, but the seriousness of her statement wasn't lost on String.

"Erin," String replied with an easy grin, "I understand...and just for the record, I don't plan on ever doing anything to hurt Cait...it sure took me a long time to realize it...but I love your sister very much. But I'll say this—if I ever _did _do anything like that...I wouldn't stop you from doing whatever you felt like you had to do." Hawke's smile just then served to reassure Erin, and she smiled warmly back at him.

"I'm glad we understand each other," Erin replied, smiling, then she drew String into a friendly embrace. "And last night, it was obvious how much you and Cait love each other. Welcome to our family, String. We're sure happy to have you!" Her expression grew puzzled as she separated and noticed Archangel. "I'm sorry, sir...I don't believe we've met."

"Sorry, Erin," String said. "This is Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III...he's a friend of my parents'." Hawke said as Michael came forward and shook hands with Erin.

"A pleasure to meet you, Erin," Michael said.

"Likewise," Erin replied, then turned back to String and Saint John. "All right, you guys...it's about time." String smiled as he and Michael headed towards the dock where Judge Clevenger stood, while Saint John and Dom walked with Erin to the cabin to line up for the start of the ceremony.

String couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Caitlin on Dom's arm a few minutes later. The dress she wore was a simple white column of silk, with a cream-colored shawl over her shoulders to protect them from the slight breeze coming off the lake. As Dom approached and gave Caitlin's hand to String, he noticed the tears in String's eyes, but wasn't surprised by them. Hawke took Caitlin's hand and they turned towards the judge.

"Dearly beloved...we are gathered here today to join these two young people in the bonds of marriage," Judge Clevenger said. "From what I've been told, String and Caitlin have had a long and...interesting journey to get to this time and place, together." Hawke smiled at Caitlin and wondered if she was thinking the same thing he was—_You have _**no**_ idea._

"I've been informed that String and Caitlin each have something they'd like to say," the judge continued.

"Cait," String began, "I know I've done a lot of things wrong...and if I could take them back, I would. But I promise you—from this day forward, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I love you, Cait...forever and always...and I promise that I will always be here for you...no matter what." String glanced down at Caitlin and saw the tears of joy and love shining in her eyes.

"String," Caitlin replied, "you know how I feel about you—I told you before that I have loved you since the first day I saw you back at the hangar. And I am so proud, and so happy to be here with you today, and that we're going to be together forever. I love you, String...always, and forever...and I promise you that I will always be by your side...to love and support you...no matter what."

"Stringfellow Hawke," Judge Clevenger said after a moment's silence, "do you take Caitlin O'Shannessy to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise to love her and comfort her, all the days of your life?"

String smiled and replied, "I do."

"Caitlin O'Shannessy, do you take Stringfellow Hawke to be your lawful wedded husband? Do you promise to love him and comfort him, all the days of your life?"

Caitlin looked deep into String's eyes, and with tears of love and joy shining in hers, she replied, "Yes. I do."

"The rings, please," Judge Clevenger said, as Saint John handed them over.

"Stringfellow, take Cait's ring, place it on the third finger of her left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring,"_ String replied.

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed."_ String slipped the gold band onto Caitlin's finger.

"Caitlin, take Stringfellow's ring, place it on the third finger of his left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring..."_

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed." _Caitlin replied as she slid the ring onto String's finger.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the great state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Judge Clevenger finished, as String pulled Caitlin into his arms and kissed her. As the small crowd burst into applause, Judge Clevenger said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke!" They kissed again as the applause rang out across the lake.

"We made it, String," Caitlin said happily after they separated.

"Yes, we did, Cait," String replied, smiling at her. "Now...we're together forever."

"I love you, Stringfellow Hawke," Caitlin said proudly.

"I love you too, Caitlin Hawke," String replied, even as he thought about the chain of events that had led them to this point. _This is what was supposed to happen,_ String thought to himself. _Caitlin and I...we belong together. And now...we are._ The newlyweds happily accepted congratulations from everyone present, and then moved into the cabin where Dom had made dinner once again.

"String," Saint John said several hours later as they prepared to leave, "congratulations. I have to say...I think Cait's good for you. I don't remember the last time I saw you so happy."

"Thanks, Sinj," String replied, smiling. "I don't think I've been this happy for a long time. I'm especially happy that you were able to be here today," he finished, drawing his older brother into a friendly embrace.

"Me too, String," Saint John replied. "Me, too." Finally, Michael, Erin, Maggie, Dom, and Saint John had left, and Caitlin and String were alone at last, standing on the porch of the cabin wrapped in each other's arms as they looked out over the lake. Suddenly, Caitlin turned in Hawke's arms and kissed him with everything she had, pouring all the love she felt for him into it, and she was relieved when she felt him returning her passion with his own. When she separated them, she hoped that Hawke would be able to read the desire in her eyes.

Without a word, String scooped his bride up in his arms and headed upstairs to the sleeping loft. As he he set Caitlin back on her feet, their feelings for one another erupted again in a passionate kiss. When they separated, Caitlin shyly grinned and said, "Just...be gentle, okay? It's..."

"I know, Cait," String replied, smiling. "I know."

Later, Caitlin was snuggled tight against String's body, feeling his arms wrapped around her as she began drifting off to sleep. _I can't believe this has happened,_ she said to herself as she slipped into sleep. _I'm Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke. He's mine...finally. And I'm his...forever. _She smiled as she felt sleep claiming her, knowing this was exactly where she belonged...and who she belonged with.

_I never thought I could be this happy, _Hawke said to himself as he began drifting off to sleep. _But I know Caitlin and I belong together. _Hawke smiled as he recalled the words that started this whole chain of events. _"If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!" Well...at least they assigned me the _right_ one,_ String said to himself as sleep finally claimed him. _I...I can't imagine my life without Cait. And now...I don't have to._ As he slipped deeper into sleep, Hawke felt something change in the air in the cabin, and somehow, he knew that everything would be all right. _For now...and for always, _Hawke said to himself happily.


	2. Chapter 2

_If The FIRM Wanted Me To Have a Wife...Chap. 2_

A/N #1—As usual, DPB or Universal owns the series, the characters, etc., I'm just taking them out to play again. Events in this chapter occur approximately 8 months after the events of Chap. 1.

A/N #2—Thanks as always go to **Riabhach, Sirius7, Ms. Anonymous, jareya, bamboozlepig, and OldSFfan** for their reviews/feedback.Italics represent either character thoughts, or a conversation overheard through a loudspeaker, depending on the situation.

_Summary—_During a seemingly innocent conversation, Michael makes a comment he never intended to make.

_Well,_ Zeus said to himself, _things seem to be going well for our newlyweds. That may have been one of the smartest decisions Michael's made in a long time._ Zeus thought to himself, remembering his feelings when Michael told him of his idea—to "assign" Stringfellow Hawke a wife, since Hawke had mentioned it during a conversation at his cabin.

_At least Michael assigned Hawke the _**right **_one, _Zeus said to himself with a chuckle. _If he'd assigned anyone but Caitlin, Hawke probably would have killed Archangel...or at least, sent him to the hospital for a prolonged period of time,_ Zeus said to himself, remembering how Michael had told him about Hawke decking him. _Not that Hawke wouldn't have had the right to do it...but I'm certainly glad he didn't have to. _

_Well...at least Hawke would have done that if Caitlin hadn't killed Hawke first, out of jealousy, _Zeus added to himself as he recalled the conversation he and Michael had.

"_So you're seriously going to do this, Michael? Assign someone to marry Stringfellow Hawke?"_

"_Yes, Zeus...and I already have the perfect candidate in mind...Caitlin O'Shannessy."_

"_Oh, yes...I recall the name...she was the one who helped Hawke rescue you from East Germany, wasn't she?"_

"_Yes, Zeus...and I got a feeling about them when we talked after the mission...at least, I got a feeling about Caitlin...and after Hawke was kidnapped by Horn, my feeling was confirmed."_

Zeus recalled hearing about what Caitlin had said to Dominic Santini—_Dom, don't do that to me. I care about him too, you know. Probably *more than you know__**.***_

"_Very well, Archangel," Zeus had said. "You know the situation better than I do, so I leave it in your capable hands."_

_And, we see how well that has turned out,_ Zeus thought to himself. _Between being married to Caitlin, and having his brother Saint John home, Hawke is like an entirely different—and much easier to get along with—person._

Zeus' thoughts turned from Stringfellow Hawke and his bride to Archangel. _Archangel...am I going to have to do with you what you did with Hawke? _Zeus asked himself. He'd seen the looks that Marella, Archangel's aide, had given Archangel recently, especially after Hawke rescued Michael from Krueger and Kinskov in East Germany a year ago. _But from what I understand, she's loved him longer than that,_ Zeus said to himself. _Probably even since Airwolf was stolen at Red Star._ Of course, Zeus had read the reports of what Moffet did that day, and how Archangel had thrown himself on top of Marella when Moffet began firing on the base control center. _Well,_ Zeus decided, _if the opportunity presents itself, I may take matters into my own hands._

_Why can't he understand how I feel about him? _Marella asked herself for probably the millionth time since Red Star. She found her thoughts going back to the day at Red Star when Moffet stole Airwolf, and Marella remembered what Michael had done.

"_Well, I'm sure their trust is well-founded!" Sen. William Dietz said to Moffet._

"_Not really." Moffet's voice sounded cold, almost inhuman...and Archangel realized that Airwolf's weapons systems were activated, and pointed right at them. Without thinking, he grabbed Marella by the arms and threw her down to the ground, a split second before Moffet began firing on the base, then covered her body with his own._

_That's what caused him to lose his left eye,_ Marella said to herself sadly. Even now, some two years after the fact, when she thought of that day and all the friends they had lost, she could still hear Michael's screams as the shards of glass penetrated his eye and leg. _We both could have been killed,_ Marella said to herself, _and probably would have, too, if Michael hadn't done what he did. But...I loved him even before that. He just doesn't see it, _Marella said to herself, sadly. _Now I know how Caitlin felt before Archangel "assigned" them to get married. Maybe...maybe I can talk to her about Michael...she might understand,_ Marella thought to herself, becoming more determined. _One way or another, I'm going to get through your head how I feel about you, Michael,_ Marella said to herself with a smile.

A few days later, Michael and Marella met with Stringfellow, Caitlin, and Dom after a successful mission. Zeus had resisted the temptation to eavesdrop on their conversations after missions, but today, he felt a need to. He flipped the switch opening the mic that was installed in Archangel's office—being careful to make sure that the mic was set to "Mute," so his voice would not come through—then sat back in his chair to listen to the conversation.

"_So, Hawke," Michael was saying, "I see married life seems to be agreeing with you."_

"_So far," Hawke replied. "Michael, I know I said this before, but thank you. I must admit, this is probably the most enjoyable "assignment" I've ever had." _Zeus could imagine the smiles on Hawke's, Caitlin's, and Archangel's faces, and allowed a rare smile to cross his own as he turned back to the conversation coming through the small speaker.

"_Well, I'm just relieved everything worked out," Michael said, then Zeus heard what sounded like footsteps._

"_Michael," Dominic suddenly burst out, "what about you? Why haven't you ever gotten married?" Zeus' eyebrows went up in interest. _**I'd like to know the answer to that one myself,**_Zeus said to himself._

"_I guess I never found the right woman," Michael replied, unaware of the reaction his statement caused in Marella, who was talking with Caitlin on the opposite side of the office._

"_Can you believe that, Caitlin?" Marella said in disgust, but the tone of her voice left no doubt in Caitlin's mind what Marella was thinking._

"_Why would Michael say somethin' like that?" Caitlin whispered back. "Surely he knows how you feel about him." Marella smiled and shook her head._

"_Not really," Marella replied. "I've—I've thought about telling Michael how I feel about him...but the timing never felt right. There was always something going on—Michael's kidnapping by Krueger, Hawke's kidnapping by Horn, or something else that prevented me from saying anything."_

"_Is that all?" Caitlin asked, not completely buying what _Marella_ was saying. _

"_Well...not really, no," Marella said, embarrassed. "I mean, I've wanted to talk to you about this for a while now, Cait...I just never knew what to say to you about it. But I'm sure you've figured it out by now...how I feel about Michael."_

"_I think I have," Caitlin replied. "You love Michael, right?"_

"_Right," Marella answered. "I don't know when it happened...maybe after he saved my life at Red Star that day...or after I almost lost him to Kruger...I don't know. But somewhere along the line, I fell in love with Michael, just like you did with Hawke." Marella gazed across the office to where String, Dom, and Michael were conversing, and wished she knew what Michael was thinking at that moment._

"_Michael," Hawke said, smiling as he glanced over to where his wife and Marella stood, "you really mean that you've never found the right woman? Somehow, I find that hard to believe." Especially since she's standing right under your nose, Michael...just like Caitlin was with me,_ Hawke said to himself.

"_Well, Hawke," Michael replied, smiling at both Hawke and Dominic, "I guess I'll say the same thing to you that you said to Dominic a while back—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!"_

Now Zeus was glad he'd left the microphone off, as Michael's last words came through the speaker—"_If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!" _Zeus found himself uncharacteristically laughing, even considering the serious tone in Michael's voice.

_That's a wonderful idea, Michael,_ Zeus said to himself, even as he imagined Hawke saying the same thing to Dominic eight months ago. _And we see how well that has worked out, _Zeus said to himself. _Hawke is so much easier to deal with since he's been married. Maybe marriage is just what Michael needs, too. And how can he say he never found the right woman? The right woman's right under your nose, you blind ass! Well...maybe 'half-blind' ass would be better, in Michael's case._

"_Careful, Michael," Hawke was saying, causing Zeus to pull his focus back into the conversation again. "You never know who might be listening."_

"_That's true, Hawke," Michael replied, shaking his head, "but the only person I'd be concerned about hearing what I just said would be Zeus...and I haven't seen him all day. Of course, that's not all that uncommon, since he decided to leave me alone, to do my job." _

_Oh, I'll leave you alone, Michael,_ Zeus said to himself with a satisfied grin,_ except about this. I just wonder how I'm going to go about it. _Zeus sat back in his chair and began formulating his plan. _And Marella...be careful what you wish for._

For his part, Michael was reconsidering what he'd just said—_If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one! But...he'd never really _**do **_it, would he? _Michael asked himself worriedly.

"Something on your mind, Michael?" Hawke asked him a moment later.

"Oh, nothing, Hawke," Michael replied nervously. "Just...thinking about something I said a minute ago." _And I know I sound like __a character __out of a Star Wars movie, but all of a sudden, I have a very bad feeling about this, _Michael said to himself.

Hawke's smile just then indicated he knew exactly what Michael was talking about. "Well, Michael...I wouldn't worry too much about it—after all, like you said, you haven't seen Zeus recently, so how would he know what you've been thinking?"

"I suppose you're right, Hawke," Michael agreed, all the while thinking, _At least, I hope so. I'd hate for Zeus to do to me what I did to you...even if it is for a good reason. And, who knows how Marella would react...especially if Zeus "assigned" someone other than her to marry me. But...would that be so bad? Being assigned to marry Marella, that is? I suppose I'll never know...but it is worth thinking about,_ Michael mused.

Meanwhile, Zeus switched off the speaker to Michael's office with a self-satisfied smirk. _You don't think I was listening, Michael...well, I'll just have to prove you wrong._

A few weeks later, String, Caitlin and Dom were once again in Michael's office, meeting with Michael and Marella after the completion of a mission, when Michael's intercom buzzed.

"Yes?" Michael asked.

"Sir, Zeus would like to speak with you and Marella in his office..._immediately._" Lauren said.

"Is this a classified conversation, or can my guests listen in?" Michael queried.

Lauren hesitated a beat before answering. "I suppose they can listen in," she finally said.

"Thank you, Lauren," Michael replied, and the five of them left Michael's office and walked to the elevator.

"Wonder why he's letting us come along?" Hawke asked as the elevator started towards Zeus' office.

"Good question, Hawke," Marella answered, then added, "Maybe he has something to say to all of us." Her thoughts were interrupted as the elevator doors swished open, and the five of them stepped into Zeus' office.

"Michael, Marella...I'm glad you both made it so quickly," Zeus' voice boomed out from the other side of the room. "Mr. Santini, Mr. and Mrs. Hawke..." String and Caitlin both smiled as Zeus said that, then turned serious again. "it's good to see you all again. Relax, all of you...there's nothing to worry about," Zeus continued, noticing Hawke and Caitlin's expressions.

"What is this all about, Zeus?" Michael demanded.

"Marella, Michael, relax," Zeus replied, with an uncharacteristic smile. "Actually, though, this does concern the both of you. You see, Michael," Zeus continued, "the Committee has made a decision recently. We have decided"—Zeus hesitated for a moment, much as he imagined Archangel had eight months ago when saying the same thing to Hawke—"that you need a wife."

_Oh, great,_ Michael said to himself. "Zeus," he began aloud, "I can't believe it...you were spying on me!" Michael recalled a few weeks ago when he said, _"I guess I'll say the same thing to you that you said to Dominic a while back—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!" _

_I can't believe this,_ Marella said to herself, trying to keep her face expressionless. Inside, however, her emotions were in absolute turmoil. _Now I know how Hawke and Caitlin must have felt,_ she said to herself. _Would he do it? Marry me, that is...I mean, he doesn't even know how I feel about him,_ Marella said to herself worriedly.

"Zeus," Michael said, nervously, "I was only speaking facetiously...I never meant..."

"Nonsense, Michael," Zeus replied, shaking his head. "After considering how much marriage has improved Mr. Hawke's disposition"—Zeus nodded at Caitlin, who merely smiled and nodded back to him—"The Committee has decided that you might benefit from a similar...assignment." He caught the expressions on both Michael and Marella's faces, and moved to reassure them.

"Archangel...surely you don't think I had anyone else in mind than Marella for this...assignment?" Michael's expression just then told him all he needed to know. "Archangel...it's obvious to me how you feel about Marella...actually, it's probably obvious to most everyone in this room," he continued. "And I have a hunch that the feeling is mutual between the two of you. So...I expect the two of you to get married, ASAP, and to begin working on...shall we say...the next generation of Deputy Director? Or maybe the next generation of the Deputy Director's personal aide?" By this time, if Marella were prone to blushing, she knew she would be blushing furiously, but Michael seemed to have that end covered for both of them. _His face looks as red as Cait's hair,_ Marella said to herself as she composed herself.

"Zeus, you can't be serious," Michael protested, ignoring Marella's expression. "I mean, yes, I did the same thing to Hawke...and I'm pleased to see how well that has worked out, but you can't seriously think that I would..." He stopped himself as Hawke walked up to stand next to him.

"Michael," Hawke said, "at least think about what Zeus is suggesting. You never know," he continued, winking at Marella, "you might wind up as happy as we are." Hawke turned and smiled at his wife, even as he noticed Dom trying to stifle a laugh from behind them.

"Mind your own goddamned business, Hawke!" Michael thundered. Embarrassed, he recalled Hawke saying something very similar to him eight months ago. _"I know, Michael," Hawke had said, then added, "but it's really none of your business, you know."_

"I'm sorry, Hawke," Michael quickly said, realizing how hostile he must have sounded. "That was uncalled for."

"Apology accepted, Michael," Hawke replied. "Guess now you know how I felt eight months ago."

"As a matter of fact, Hawke, I do," Michael replied. _In more ways than one, _he added to himself. Michael quickly turned to Zeus. "Zeus, if there's nothing else..."

"No, no, nothing else. You're all dismissed," Zeus said, then added, "Archangel, think about what I've said...because I expect a decision within 48 hours."

"All right, Zeus," Michael replied, not exactly sure what his decision would be. The group headed back to the elevator and to Michael's office.

"Well, Michael," Hawke said when they were all back inside Michael's office, "what are you going to do?"

Glancing at Marella, Michael replied, "I don't know, Hawke. I honestly don't know." He noticed Marella's expression grow decidedly downcast at that statement.

"Well, Michael, you only have 48 hours to figure it out," Hawke said with a smile. "So don't take too long thinking it over. Let me give you a small piece of advice—go with your feelings...that's what I did eight months ago. And," he smiled at Caitlin as she walked over to him and they slipped their arms around each other, "I can honestly say I've never been happier."

"I can see that," Michael said, grinning. "And personally, I hope I never _stop_ seeing it. All right, Hawke...I'll think about it." He and Marella quickly said goodbye to String, Caitlin, and Dom, and Michael found himself alone with Marella in his office again.

"I can't believe it," Michael spat, still angry. "He was spying on me! _ME,_ for God's sake!" Marella recognized the outburst of temper, and decided that what she had to say could wait. Without a word, Marella turned on her heel and fled to the safety of her desk, slamming the door as she went.

As she sat back down at her desk, Marella struggled to compose herself after everything she'd just heard. On the one hand, she felt an extreme sense of happiness, after hearing Zeus' instructions to Michael, but on the other hand, she knew Michael's temper about as well as anybody...and she also knew that after what had happened in Zeus' office, she would probably be better off avoiding Michael until he figured out what he was going to do. _I know what I want him to do,_ Marella said to herself later that night after she went home, as she got ready for bed, _I just don't know if he's ready for that._

For his part, Michael heard the slam of his office door as Marella ran out. He thought about going out to her desk to see what was wrong, but decided against it. _I probably scared her with that outburst a little while ago,_ he said to himself when he went home later that evening. _I'll make it up to her...somehow._

As Michael finished his evening rituals and prepared for bed later that night, he was suddenly struck by a thought he hadn't allowed into his mind in quite some time. _I'm—I'm lonely,_ Michael said to himself. He realized that the impetus for the thought had most likely been Zeus' assignment to him earlier that day, but he had to admit, the feeling of acute loneliness was stronger than anything he'd experienced in a long time. _Now I really know how Hawke felt before he married Cait,_ Michael said to himself as he tried to sleep. Michael also felt something else welling up in his heart—a deep love and respect for Marella. _I think it's...it's always been there,_ Michael said to himself. _I've just been too stupid to admit __it._ He remembered the day at Red Star, when he grabbed Marella and threw his body on top of hers, to shield her from the weapons fire. _Marella doesn't know the real reason I did that,_ Michael thought. _I—I just couldn't bear the thought of life without her...even back then. I guess...I guess I loved her even then,_ he admitted to himself, as he finally allowed himself to relax.

_Well...I guess there's only one thing to do,_ he decided as he felt an uneasy sleep finally claim him.

"String? What do you think Michael's going to do?" Caitlin asked her husband as they arrived back at the cabin.

"I'm not sure, Cait," String replied honestly, "but I will say this much—I think Michael would be a fool not to accept the 'assignment'—it's obvious to me how Marella feels about him...I learned that when she told Dom and me what she did to get to the hospital that time." Caitlin recalled hearing what Marella had done to inform Hawke and Dom of Archangel's capture—"_I lost them in a porno house"—_she had said.

"I'd do the same, you know," Caitlin told her husband as they walked into the cabin.

"Huh? I don't get it, Cait," Hawke replied.

"If you were ever captured by the Russians...or whoever...and I had to inform Dom or Michael...and I thought I was bein' tailed...I'd go through a porno house to lose the tail if I had to, just like Marella did. But, let's hope I never have to do that," she said with a particular grin.

"I hope so too, Cait," Hawke replied, curling his lip into the boyish grin he reserved only for his wife as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and felt hers around his neck. "I hope so too."

"Y'know, String...Zeus was right," Caitlin said later.

"About what?" Hawke asked.

"You are happier since we've been married...and, I'm glad," Caitlin answered.

"So am I, Cait...so am I," String replied, then added, "That was probably the best assignment Michael ever gave us." He saw Caitlin smile at his inclusion of the word _us,_ and smiled back at her.

"I feel the same way, String," Caitlin replied, just before she kissed him again.

The next day at Knightsbridge, Marella made a point to avoid contact with Michael as much as she could, since he hadn't made up his mind about the assignment yet. Finally, just before they were scheduled to leave for the day, Michael caught up to Marella. "Marella...may I speak with you for a second?"

"Yes, Michael?" Marella replied, trying to keep her nerves from carrying through to her voice—but failing miserably.

"You've been acting awfully strange today, Marella—is something wrong?" Michael queried, and the concern in his voice was obvious to her.

"I'm—I'm sorry, Michael," Marella stammered in reply, "I just thought it would be better if I avoided you until you made up your mind."

"Ah, yes...the 'assignment,'" Michael sighed, taking hold of Marella's hand. "What do you say you come to my house for dinner tonight...and we can discuss it further?"

Fighting a wave of tears, Marella glanced down at their joined hands, nodded, then whispered, "I—I think I'd like that, Michael."

Two days later, Zeus realized something—_Michael's decision day was yesterday...but I haven't heard anything. _Taking a few moments to control his temper, Zeus finally punched the button for the intercom to Michael's office. _"Yes?" _Michael's voice came through the loudspeaker.

"Michael, report to my office..._immediately," _Zeus replied, the anger obvious in his voice.

"_Yes, sir."_

A few moments later, Michael was once again standing in front of Zeus. "What can I do for you, Zeus?" he asked politely.

"Michael...did you forget something yesterday?" Zeus' eyebrows went up questioningly.

"Yes, Zeus...I think I did forget something," Michael replied, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"_And?_"

"And," Michael replied, pausing for effect, "Marella and I talked about the...'assignment' the other night—over dinner at my house," Michael continued. Zeus' expression softened at the words _"over dinner at my house," _but he still didn't know what Michael was thinking.

For his part, Michael was remembering exactly what had transpired two nights ago over dinner.

"_So, Marella...I guess you have a few...questions about why I asked you to come here this evening," Michael said nervously._

"_That's an understatement, Michael," Marella replied, smiling at him to try and calm his nerves. "You've never invited anyone to your home for dinner...even Hawke. It...surprised me, I'll have to admit."_

"_Well," Michael replied, "I've been thinking a lot about what Zeus told me yesterday...and...I came to realize something last night."_

"_What was that, Michael?" Marella asked anxiously._

"_Marella...I realized last night that...that I love you," Michael said, noticing the tears that flooded Marella's eyes. "And, I've loved you for a very long time. I've just been too stubborn, or stupid, to admit it, until now."_

"_Oh, Michael," Marella replied, her emotions shining in her eyes, "I love you, too. I think I've loved you ever since that day at Red Star...and I've been hoping for a long time to hear those words from you." She was ecstatic, yet surprised, when Michael had stood up, walked around the table to where she sat, then took her hand and pulled her from her chair, and kissed her._

"_There's something I never told you about that day at Red Star," Michael said after they had separated and caught their breath._

"_What, Michael?" Marella asked him._

"_There's...a reason I did what I did, Marella," Michael continued. "I—I just couldn't imagine my life without you. Even then...I was in love with you." _

"_Michael...I have a confession to make," Marella said, smiling at him. "I've loved you since that day, too. Guess we were both just too stubborn to admit it."_

"_I guess so," Michael agreed._

"_So...what do we do now?" Marella asked. "There is still that assignment we have to think about."_

"_Well, I think we need to get to know each other better...on a more personal level," Michael said. "I mean, we've worked together for the past three years, but we still don't know each other beyond that...and I think even though we know how we feel about each other, we'd only be doing ourselves a disservice by getting married too soon."_

_Moving closer in his arms, Marella replied, "I like the way you think, Michael...I just hope it doesn't take too long." Then she'd kissed him again._

"Well?" Zeus demanded. "Did you come to any conclusions? I told you to marry Marella ASAP, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, sir, you did," Michael replied.

"So why haven't I heard about a wedding date yet?" Zeus was _really _starting to get angry now.

"You told us to get married ASAP," Michael replied, forcing himself to stay calm, "but it's not possible—yet."

"_NOT POSSIBLE?_" Zeus roared. "Michael, I want you to know that I'm rapidly losing my patience with you. Why in the hell isn't it possible for you two to get married yet?"

"Because we don't know each other well enough," Michael answered truthfully.

Zeus was caught between a rock and a hard place—on the one hand, Michael was using a very clever loophole in the wording of the assignment—_but on the other hand,_ Zeus was forced to admit to himself, _they're following my orders to the letter._

"Michael," Zeus said, struggling once again to regain control of his emotions, "do you have any idea how angry I am right now?"

"Actually, yes," Michael replied, feeling an uncharacteristic amount of pride and satisfaction at seeing his superior so flustered.

"I just have one question—were you a lawyer before you joined the FIRM?" Zeus demanded.

"No, Zeus...although Marella and I have both read our fair share of legal material," Archangel replied. "And I know that even though you told us to get married ASAP, you never set a time frame...so you left yourself wide open for just this possibility. And," Michael continued, anticipating Zeus' next question, "even though we've worked together for three years, Marella and I don't know each other..._personally..._well enough to think about marriage just yet."

Once again, Zeus had to admit that his Deputy Director had outsmarted him. "One of these days, Michael...I'll figure out how you manage to always be one step ahead of me," he grumbled.

"If there's nothing further, sir?" Michael inquired.

"No, nothing further," Zeus said angrily. "Dismissed—and don't make me wait too long before you decide to get married."

"I'll keep that in mind, sir," Michael said as he left Zeus' office.

When he came back downstairs, Michael found Marella waiting for him.

"Well? How did Zeus take the news?" Marella asked him.

"About as well as could be expected," Michael replied, shaking his head. "Zeus is none too happy that I found...shall I say, a loophole in his assignment. But, like we discussed at dinner the other night, we don't know each other well enough, personally, to think about marriage. Although," he continued, a mischievous grin crossing his face, "I don't think it's going to take too much longer."

"I like the way you think, Michael," Marella replied, moving closer to him. She placed a friendly kiss on his cheek before walking out of his office. As he watched Marella walk away, her hips swaying ever-so-seductively, Michael said to himself, _Zeus, I think you'll be hearing something sooner than you imagine._

Over the course of the next few weeks, Michael and Marella grew closer every day, and String began noticing a change in Michael. One day after a mission, he decided to comment.

"Michael, you seem...different," Hawke said to Michael in his office.

"In what way, Hawke?" Michael asked innocently.

"I can't really put my finger on it...but something's different about you. You seem...I don't know...happier, I guess," Hawke said hesitantly.

"Well, Hawke," Michael said, glancing at Marella, "I am happy...I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I think...I think Zeus might have had the right idea."

"_I heard that, Michael!_" Zeus' voice came over the loudspeakers in Michael's office.

"I know, Zeus," Michael replied to the air. "I suspected you might be listening in—that's why I said it." He grinned at Hawke, Dom and Caitlin.

"So, Michael," Hawke said, knowing Zeus would be listening, "have you decided on..."

"Actually, Hawke," Michael interrupted, knowing what Hawke was asking him, "I was planning on inviting you, Caitlin, and Dom for dinner tomorrow night at my house."

"_Really?_" Hawke asked, his eyebrows arching in surprise.

"Yes, really," Michael replied. He caught Marella's expression and said, "I expect you to be there also, Marella."

"I'll—I'll be there, Michael," Marella replied nervously. _Is he finally going to do it? She asked herself. Is that why he's inviting us all for dinner tomorrow—because he wants to ask me to marry him?_

"So...shall we say around 7:30?" Michael asked.

"Sounds good, Michael," Hawke agreed, and Caitlin nodded her agreement.

"Good...I'll see you all at 7:30 tomorrow, then." Michael said with a smile.

"Hawke?" Caitlin asked as soon as they were on their way back to Santini Air, "What's going on with Michael? Do you think he's finally going to ask Marella to marry him?"

"Yeah, Cait, I do," Hawke replied, smiling. "I don't know why...but I've got a funny feeling about tomorrow night."

Caitlin smiled, knowing Hawke's "feelings" about things like that were rarely wrong. _After all...those "feelings" have saved all our lives more than once,_ she said to herself. "I thought so," she said aloud. "Well, personally, I can't wait for tomorrow night."

"Me neither, Cait," Hawke replied. "Me, neither."

The next evening, Dom, Hawke and Caitlin arrived at Archangel's home, and were not surprised that Marella was already there. Caitlin quickly walked over to her and said, "You okay?"

"Not really," Marella admitted. "I'm just so...nervous. I've been wondering all day why Michael decided to do this tonight...and I still haven't figured it out."

"Well, Marella, I wouldn't worry about it," Caitlin replied with a smile, "Hawke hasn't been able to figure Michael out, either." The two women grinned at each other as Hawke and Michael came over to them.

"And what are you ladies conspiring about?" Hawke asked, slipping his arm around Caitlin's shoulders as she slipped hers around his waist.

"Oh, girl talk, String," Caitlin replied, smiling at him. "Nothin' you'd be interested in." String simply smiled and nodded as the group headed into the dining room for dinner.

Marella kept trying to get Michael to disclose what he was up to all through the meal, but every time she brought it up, Michael simply smiled and said, "Later, Marella." Finally, Marella gave up until they were back in the living room after dinner.

Michael began sensing that Marella's frustration was getting the better of her, so he asked Dom to fix everyone a glass of champagne, and once that was taken care of, Michael maneuvered Marella into a chair at one end of the room. Marella felt something rising in her, and her suspicions were confirmed a moment later when Michael slowly got down on one knee, holding a small maroon velvet box which Marella saw contained a beautiful diamond engagement ring. She felt tears flood her eyes when Michael said, "Marella...will you marry me?"

Marella hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "God, yes, Michael! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" As Michael slipped the ring onto her left hand, she wiped the tears out of her eyes with her right hand, just before Michael drew her to her feet and kissed her, much to the delight of their guests.

"Congratulations, Marella...and you too, Michael!" Hawke exclaimed, as he shook Michael's hand, then gave Marella a friendly kiss on the cheek. Dom did the same, and Caitlin embraced both Michael and Marella.

"I hope this isn't going to be too long of an engagement, Michael," Hawke said with a grin.

"I'll be calling Judge Clevenger first thing tomorrow," Michael replied, then added, "and we were wondering, Hawke...would it be possible for us to get married at your cabin, the way you and Caitlin did?"

"Of course, Michael," Hawke replied. "Just let me know when."

"Thank you, Hawke," Michael replied, then added, "Oh...I have one other request. Would you stand as my best man?"

"Michael," Hawke replied, "It would be an honor."

"Then this will work perfectly," Marella said as she and Caitlin came over to them, "since Cait agreed to be my matron of honor." Everyone laughed, then Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin got ready to leave.

"We'll let you know when we'd like to get married, Hawke," Michael said as they shook hands once again.

"Okay, Michael," Hawke replied, then added, "and congratulations again."

"Thank you, Hawke," Marella said, smiling, "and good night."

"Hawke?" Caitlin asked as they were on their way back home, "did you notice Marella wasn't in any hurry to leave Michael's house?"

Hawke smiled as he replied, "Yeah, I noticed that. I can't say that I'm surprised, either," he said as he brought the helicopter down on the dock and shut down the engine.

Once they were both out of the helicopter, Caitlin said, "Oh, really, Hawke? Why doesn't that surprise you? Marella staying at Michael's tonight, I mean?"

"Do you _really _need me to answer that question, Caitlin?" Hawke asked with his familiar boyish grin.

"H mm...I guess not," Caitlin replied as she slipped her arms around his neck, and felt his around her waist. "I have a feeling I know what's going to happen with them tonight." Without another word, she pulled Hawke's head down to her for a deep and loving kiss. _Because it's exactly what I want to happen with _**us **_tonight, String,_ Caitlin said to herself, relieved when she felt Hawke sweep her off her feet and carry her to the sleeping loft.

The next day, Dom was surprised when Michael phoned. "Santini Air," he said, then heard Michael's voice on the other end of the line. "Hello, Dominic. May I speak to Hawke, please?"

"Sure, Michael," Dom replied, stepping out of the office. "Hey, String!" he called out, "Michael's on the phone!"

"Thanks, Dom," Hawke replied, taking the receiver. "Hello, Michael," he said.

"Hawke," Michael said, "we've made our decision...we'd like to get married next Saturday afternoon...if that's okay with you and Cait."

"That will be just fine, Michael," Hawke replied. "Have you..."

"No, Hawke," Michael said, anticipating Hawke's question. "Zeus doesn't know yet. But, he will...soon enough," Michael added.

"All right, Michael," Hawke replied, shaking his head, then added, "and congratulations again. We'll all see you next Saturday."

"See you then, Hawke...and, thank you," Michael said just before he hung up.

"What was that all about, String?" Caitlin asked as she walked up to join her husband.

"That was Michael," Hawke replied, and smiled at Caitlin's reaction. "No, Cait, the limo's not coming to take us to Knightsbridge...Michael was just informing me that he and Marella have set a wedding date—a week from Saturday."

"I'll bet it can't get here fast enough for either one of them," Caitlin replied, smiling at Hawke.

"I wouldn't take that bet, Cait...because it's a bet you'd win," Hawke answered her.

Meanwhile, back at Knightsbridge, Michael had just hung up the phone from talking to Hawke, when his intercom buzzed. _"Archangel, report to my office...NOW!"_ Zeus barked.

"Yes, sir," Michael replied, smiling as he went to the elevator.

A few moments later, Michael stepped out of the elevator and walked into Zeus' office. "You wanted to see me, Zeus?"

"Yes, Michael," Zeus seethed, his anger barely controlled. "And I assume you know the reason why I called you here."

"Yes, Zeus, I think I do," Michael replied, smiling at him.

"Michael," Zeus continued angrily, "it's been almost a _month_ since we had that last conversation about your...'assignment,' and I still haven't heard anything. Do you mean to tell me you and Marella still haven't gotten to know each other well enough to consider getting married?"

"Zeus," Michael began, "we have gotten to know each other a lot better over the last month. In fact, there's something I need to tell you."

"Well, don't just stand there, man..._tell me, already!_" Zeus roared, his temper finally boiling over.

"Zeus," Michael replied, remaining calm, "if you're not busy next Saturday, you're invited to Hawke's cabin...for our wedding." Michael hesitated, gauging Zeus' reaction.

"I'll be there, Michael," Zeus replied, a rare smile crossing his face. "One way or the other, I'll be there."

"Thank you, sir," Archangel replied. "Is there anything else?"

"No, Michael," Zeus replied, finally losing some of his anger. "You're dismissed."

Just before Michael stepped out of the office, Zeus muttered, _"It's about goddamned time!"_

"Yes, sir," Michael agreed, turning back towards Zeus' desk. "Marella and I feel the same way."

"Get out of here, Michael!" Zeus replied. "Don't you have a wedding to plan?"

"Yes, sir," Michael replied, closing the door behind him as he left.

As soon as Zeus heard the door close behind him, he said to himself, "Finally. I was beginning to think they'd never get around to completing this assignment." He chuckled to himself as he went back to work.

Finally, the day had arrived. Marella and Caitlin were in the bedroom of the cabin, getting dressed, while Michael, Dom, and Hawke were outside, wanting to keep the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the wedding intact.

"You okay, Marella?" Caitlin asked, worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine, Cait," Marella replied, smiling at her friend. "Just..."

"A little nervous?" Caitlin asked, and was not surprised when Marella nodded affirmatively.

"Don't be, Marella," Caitlin said, smiling at her friend. "Everything's gonna be fine today...you'll see. I felt the same way eight months ago, before I married String."

"I certainly hope so, Caitlin," Marella said as her personal assistant, Jacqueline, put the finishing touches on their makeup. Marella added, "And I remember how you were the day you married String...you didn't seem nervous at all."

"Then I guess I hid it well," Caitlin said. "I may not have looked it, but that day, I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs!" Marella and Caitlin both laughed.

"Well, Caitlin, you did hide your nerves well that day," Marella agreed.

"Y'know, I dunno why we went to all that trouble," Caitlin said, smiling again. "That makeup's probably gonna be ruined before the ceremony even starts."

"You're probably right, Cait," Marella agreed, taking a few final, deep breaths. "Okay," she finally said, "go tell Dom to get everything ready, all right?"

"Sure," Caitlin replied, and went downstairs.

A few minutes later, Caitlin had located Hawke, Dom, and Michael. "Guys? It's about that time," Caitlin said, grinning at Hawke.

"Okay, everybody," Michael said, "guess it's time for me to get married." Michael walked to the dock to stand with Judge Clevenger, while Dom went to escort Marella, and Caitlin lined up next to her husband. Hawke glanced over at Caitlin and knew instinctively what she was thinking.

"You remember, don't you?" Hawke asked, noticing the tears already in his wife's eyes.

"Yeah, String," Caitlin replied. "I remember everything."

Hawke smiled at Caitlin and whispered, "So do I." Caitlin gave Hawke's arm a loving squeeze just as the quartet of violins began playing. Hawke and Caitlin walked down the dock arm in arm, then turned and waited for Marella.

As the first strains of the bridal march began, Marella and Dom appeared at the door of the cabin, with Michael's adopted daughter Katerina just in front of them, spreading rose petals along the walkway as she went. _I was right, _Caitlin said to herself as she noticed the tears streaming down Marella's face, and saw that her makeup was already ruined. Smiling, Dom gave Marella's hand to Michael, and the two of them turned to face the judge.

"Dearly beloved...we are gathered here today to unite this man, and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony. From what their friends have told me, these two people have made an...interesting journey to get to this time, and this place, together." Hawke glanced at Caitlin, then at Zeus, and wondered if they were thinking the same thing he was—_Your Honor, you have __**no idea.**_

"Michael Coldsmith-Briggs, do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?"

"I do," Michael replied, smiling.

"Marella, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"Yes. I do," Marella replied, her emotions shining in her eyes.

"The rings, please," Judge Clevenger said as Hawke handed them over.

"Michael, take Marella's ring...place it on the third finger of her left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring,"_ Michael echoed.

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed."_

"Now, Marella, take Michael's ring...place it on the third finger of his left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring..."_

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed."_ Marella smiled through her tears as she glanced up at Archangel.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the great state of California, I pronounce that you are..._husband and wife._ Michael, you may kiss your bride." Michael took Marella into his arms and kissed her, to the delight of the small group gathered there on the dock.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Coldsmith-Briggs!"_ Judge Clevenger stated proudly, as Michael and Marella kissed for the first time as husband and wife.

When it was over, Zeus stepped in front of the newlyweds, smiling. "I told you this before, Michael, but it's about damned time! Now, I have one other...small request," he continued.

"Yes, Zeus?" Michael asked, concerned.

Zeus simply shook Michael's hand and said, "Don't make me have to chaperone any rooms back at Knightsbridge when you return from your honeymoon in two weeks. We have closets for that."

"_SIR!"_ Marella cried out, shocked. "You can't believe that we would behave unprofessionally while at work!"

"Actually, I don't believe you would, Marella," Zeus replied. "Nor would Michael, I don't think."

"No, Zeus. We will maintain the highest possible professionalism at all times while in the office, you have our word," Michael said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Zeus replied simply.

After dinner, which Dom fixed to everyone's appreciation, the newlyweds, Zeus, and Dom left, and Hawke and Caitlin were alone again.

"Well," Hawke sighed as he pulled off his tie, "I'm glad everything worked out. Michael and Marella seem to be happy. And," he said, walking over to Caitlin and wrapping her in his arms, "I hope their marriage turns out as enjoyable as ours."

"String, you say the nicest things," Caitlin replied, smiling at him. "And in case I forgot to tell you today, I love you, Mr. Hawke."

String grinned and replied, "I love you too, Mrs. Hawke. Always, and forever."

Just before their lips met, Caitlin murmured, "M mm...yeah. Always, and forever."

Michael and Marella, meanwhile, had arrived back at their home, and once Michael carried her across the threshold, he did not hesitate to wrap his arms around her and give her a passionate kiss. When they separated, Michael simply said, "Welcome home, Mrs. Coldsmith-Briggs."

"Thank you, Michael. I never thought I could be so happy."

"I'll do my best to make sure you stay happy for the rest of our lives, Marella, my dear," Michael replied.

"And I'll do the same for you, my love," Marella answered him, just before Michael swept her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, where he proceeded to show Marella just how much he loved her. When it was over, he pulled Marella's body close to his own, and as he felt sleep overtaking him, Michael felt an emotion that he couldn't identify...but suddenly, he recognized it for what it was—_I'm _**happy, **Michael said to himself. _Now, Marella and I are together...forever, just like Hawke and Caitlin. _Michael closed his eyes and smiled as he felt his bride snuggle closer in his arms, and he pondered the future...a happy future now, with the woman he loved by his side. _Where she belongs,_ Michael said to himself as sleep finally overtook him.


	3. Chapter 3

_If The FIRM Wanted Me To Have a Wife...Chap. 3_

A/N #1—This is an experiment, something I thought of recently. Expanding the POV's of each character, including thoughts that I considered each one having. Will start with Hawke, and then depending on reviews, the rest of the characters will follow, so please, review and let me know!

robertwnielsen

A/N #2—Thanks as always go to **Riabhach, Sirius7, Ms. Anonymous, jareya, bamboozlepig, and OldSFfan** for their reviews/feedback.

As I glanced around the living room of the cabin, I made an announcement of my relief that Bobby Phelps and his father, Robert, were safe and well after the mission. A group had kidnapped Robert for his advanced aircraft designs, and then decided to grab Bobby after Robert got sick, and the kidnappers heard how Bobby could draw almost anything he saw, virtually from memory. Last I heard, Bobby and Robert were on their way up to Crystal Lake to fish, like Robert said they were going to do at the clinic that day.

"_A few days, I'll be outta here," Robert said. "Taking Bobby with me up to Crystal Lake. It'll be a first for me—going fishing with a full-fledged hero!"_

"_You sure better not forget about me," I said to Bobby, noticing his smile._

"_Aw, String, I won't forget you," Bobby said. "I drew a picture for you!"_

"_What?" Cait asked as Bobby walked over to his sketch pad and took out a sheet of paper. When he set it down in front of me, I noticed it was a first draft of a drawing of me. Bobby hadn't put any colors in, like he had with the picture of me and Tet on the dock, but everyone there seemed impressed._

"_You look good smiling!" Bobby said._

"_Well, I'll tell you, Bobby, this is real good," I said. "I just don't think I'm the model type."_

"_You look good when you smile!" Bobby insisted._

"_Well, you know, you look great with a smile too. And since you made me such a great drawing, I tell you what—I promise you I'll smile more, okay?"_

"_Deal!" Bobby replied, giving me a friendly hug. And of course, I remembered what Bobby had said earlier—A Phelps never goes back on a deal—so I tried the best I could to keep smiling...and, I think Cait's even noticed it. I sure remember the look on her face after Bobby told me, "You look good when you smile!"—It was almost like she was thinking, 'you're danged right he does!', or something like that. At least, that's what it looked like to me._

Unfortunately, I didn't feel much like smiling tonight. Part of it was because I was wishing Saint John was here, like I do a lot of the time, but an even bigger part was because Dom had started talking about how seeing Robert laying unconscious, with his heart monitors at a flat line, had started Dom thinking about after he dies, and how he hoped there would be someone around to take care of me—_and, _I said to myself when I saw Dom glancing over at Caitlin and Marella, _I've got a bad feeling I know who he's thinking about. I'm not getting into this with you again, Dom,_ I said to myself, suddenly fearing that Dom was about to start bothering me about getting closer to Cait, like he has so many times recently.

I proceeded to tell Dom that I liked my life perfectly well just the way it was, thank you very much...and he's still here, so there's somebody to take care of me. "Besides," I said, "You know the old saying, Dom—If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have _assigned me one!"_ Little did I know what those fifteen carelessly uttered words would do to my life.

I meant that statement as a joke, of course. I know the old saying—_If the Navy wanted me to have a wife, they would have assigned me one._ I think I heard it from Dom, or maybe my dad, or something. And besides, after Gabrielle, I don't think there's a woman on this Earth who could put up with me, especially with all the baggage I've got. Plus...there's the curse I think I have on me.

I firmly believe that anyone I love, or _might love,_ will die. And unfortunately, events have proven me more _right _than _wrong. _First, my parents were killed on the lake outside my cabin when some drunken idiot plowed into our boat. Then, just before my brother Saint John and I shipped out for Vietnam, my girlfriend Kelly and I were in a car crash, and she died.

Over in 'Nam, Saint John and I went down on the same mission—except he didn't get picked up. Okay, that's a little different—after all, he all but _ordered _me to evac, but we still don't know where he is, and everybody I know, including Archangel, seems to think he's dead. And we've been searching for him for the past sixteen years with no luck.

Then of course, there's Gabrielle, the woman who flew Archangel up here to the cabin to inform me of Moffet's theft of Airwolf. Even though I tried to keep her at a distance, the way I have so many others, we eventually became lovers. But then Angela, the operative who Michael had placed undercover in Tripoli to help me steal Airwolf back from Moffet, was murdered, and Gabrielle was sent in her place. When I told Gabrielle I didn't want her involved, after I found her in the dressing room at the Red Castle, she promised me that she was going to get out of Libya alive and that we'd grow old together—I remember her saying 'I'm gonna live to be an old woman—150, easy,' but then Moffet captured her, torturing her and leaving her in the Libyan desert to die.

Dom once told me that if he'd just been able to figure Airwolf's scanners out a little faster, we might have found Gabrielle in time to save her, and that he blames himself for Gabrielle's death. And I've told him over and over again—it's not his fault that Gabrielle's dead, it's Moffet's fault, pure and simple. Of course, Dom invariably turns that right around on me, saying that Moffet had no idea Gabrielle and I were involved with each other...and even if he found out, he probably would have killed her anyway...so _I _shouldn't blame myself for her death either—and he reminds me of all the people Moffet killed at Red Star the day he stole Airwolf, the pilots of those Mirage fighters he shot down, the crew on that U.S. Navy destroyer, and Dom adds Angela to the list—saying that I wasn't involved with any of them, but they were still all murdered by Moffet. And of course, Michael was injured—he was blinded in his left eye, and wound up walking with a permanent limp, after Moffet attacked Red Star that day. I mean, I guess Dom does have a point, but I still feel like if Gabrielle hadn't been involved with me personally, she might still be alive today. Right or wrong, that's how I feel.

I noticed Cait and Marella had gone outside, and wondered what they were talking about—lately, I've gotten some very confusing vibes from Caitlin—I get the feeling that she's looking at me as something...more than a good friend, like she already thinks of me as.

Not that I've never noticed how attractive Caitlin is—far from it. She is a very attractive—actually, she's a _beautiful _woman—and I've seen the way other guys have looked at her, and I'll admit—it's made me more than a little jealous, even though I know I shouldn't be. As much as I think she wants us to be together, I just know we can't be. Finally, I noticed Dom was talking to me, and I turned to him, trying to tune him in.

"String," Dom was saying, "why do you keep kicking yourself over Gabrielle, anyway? How many times have I told you, Moffet was _out of his mind?_ Even if he did know you two were seeing each other, that's not why he killed her, for God's sake!"

"Dom's right, Hawke," Michael piped up. "Moffet would have killed anyone he perceived to be a threat...no matter who they were involved with. Remember, he almost killed me, Marella, Lauren, and everyone at Red Star the day he stole Airwolf." Even though I knew what Michael was saying was right about what happened at Red Star, I certainly hoped Michael saw the expression on my face when he glanced over at me—one that was trying to say—as nicely as possible, mind you—_Butt out, Michael._

_Whose side are you on, anyway, Michael_? I said to myself, then suddenly realized something—_I'm not real sure I want to know the answer to that. Good thing I didn't say that out loud_. "I know, Michael," I said out loud, and Archangel relaxed...just a bit. "But, it's really none of your business, you know." I continued, glowering at the older man. And, I had to admit, I was surprised that Michael seemed to be agreeing with Dom...or at least, saying a lot of the same things. _Since when do Dom and Archangel agree on anything?_ I said to myself angrily, and quite frankly, the thought of Michael and Dom working _together_ to try and further things between me and Caitlin had me worried. Of course, I know Dom's wanted me to see Caitlin...in more ways than one...as more than just the good friend I already think of her as, but I just can't. Doesn't stop him from trying, though. _Of course...I hate to admit it, but—Dom and Michael do have a point. Gabrielle probably would have been killed whether she was involved with me or not—like Dom's told me more than once. __And I know Moffet was psycho—a sociopath at best, and a flat-out psychopath at worst. __Even the few times I met him before that day at Red Star, I knew there was somethin' just not right about him...but, he was the one who designed Airwolf, so whether we liked him or not, we had to deal with him._

"I know, Hawke," Michael said, turning as Caitlin and Marella came back into the cabin. "Just...think about what I said, will you?"

"Sure, Michael," I said with a shake of my head. "I'll...I'll think about it."

For my part, I was hoping Dom hadn't picked up on the sadness that was behind my statement. _Sure, I've dated a few women,_ I said to myself, _but never anything serious...except for Angelica...and we all saw how **that **turned out. And, even though I'd never admit this to Dom, especially after I said that I liked my life the way it is...sometimes, I do get a little lonely. It...it might be nice to have someone for more than a couple of nights. But who am I kidding? With all the baggage I've got, who'd want me? _I asked myself.

And for some reason, once again, my thoughts were drawn back to Caitlin—I mean, like I said before, she's a beautiful woman—and her personality and take-no-prisoners attitude were qualities that I could definitely respect—and admire. _And now that I think about it, Caitlin has put up with me—__and all my baggage—for __the past year-and-a-half, ever since she came here from Texas looking for me, to tell me about my friend Jimmy dying, _I thought to myself.

I don't know when I realized that Michael had gone outside, and that Caitlin had gone with him—probably when they came back into the cabin. But I noticed Cait had a very satisfied look on her face, and I decided to ask her what she and Michael had talked about that had her so happy. She said it wasn't anything important, and the look on her face quickly changed to one I recognized—_none of your business, Hawke—_so, I left it alone and withdrew back into my own thoughts about Cait. I hate to admit it, but the more I thought about all the dangerous situations Cait's been in since she's been involved with the Airwolf team, and even the ones that had nothing to do with Airwolf—like the hijacking, and the time with Holly Matthews, Dom's crazy niece, not to mention some of the things that she's told me happened to her when she was a cop in Texas—the sillier some of my objections to being closer to Cait looked.

_Plus,_ I said to myself after Dom, Cait, Michael and Marella had left and I was alone again, _she does know karate. I felt that myself a few months ago._ I unconsciously rubbed the spot on my chest where Cait had kicked me, back in my room at John Bradford Horn's compound, even as I remembered the bruise—and the footprint of Cait's combat boot—that I had there for two weeks after it happened.

Horn had kidnapped me because he wanted Airwolf for his private collection, and to help install him as dictator of a small island nation—but Cait convinced Michael to let her and Dom try to rescue me. I suppose I could understand it—if nobody had come after me, Michael would have alerted the FIRM, and the resulting military strike against Horn's compound would probably have gotten me killed. Heck, I remember Cait telling me about how Michael told her and Dom, _"I'm giving you 48 hours, then I'm hitting that location with __**everything I've got." **_And, knowing Michael's contacts in the military, I got the feeling that Zebra Squad, the FIRM's specialized assassination unit, wouldn't have been the only ones to come after me...and like I said before, I probably would have wound up dead. But Cait came into my room that night, wearing the uniform of one of Horn's troops. When she called out my name, I guess she was hoping that I'd recognize her voice, but the drugs that Horn had used on me had me completely brainwashed, so I had no idea who she was—plus, her red hair was tucked inside the ball cap she was wearing—if I'd seen that, maybe I would have recognized her. I just don't know.

Anyway, during the ensuing struggle, Caitlin kicked me in the chest hard enough to leave an imprint of her combat boot there for two weeks afterward, just before she rammed a needle into my gut, knocking me out. I found out later that she'd injected me with an experimental serum the FIRM had been working on, that was supposed to counteract brainwashing drugs. It did, but it knocked me so far out that Cait thought I was dead, she told me later. _Which accounted for the tears,_ I remembered saying to myself once I understood what had happened, and remembered how red and puffy Caitlin's eyes had looked when I woke up. _She looked like she'd been crying for hours,_ I recalled, even though it might have only been a few minutes. I didn't really understand _why_ she'd been crying so hard, though—at least, not at the moment.

Then, there's what Dom told me Caitlin had told _him_ in Michael's limo. The instructions I sent Dom were for him, _alone,_ to deliver Airwolf—but Cait had convinced Dom to bring her along. She proceeded to tell him, _"Dom, don't do that to me. I care about him, too, you know. Probably MORE than you know." _Now that I look back on it, I should have seen it—the way Cait was crying when I finally came to in the room back at Horn's compound...her comment to Dom before they set out to rescue me...all those pieces were adding up to something...I just wasn't sure what, at the time. _Of course, I wasn't exactly thinking with a clear head at Horn's compound, _I said to myself, remembering how I thought I'd killed Dom, before Cait was able to tell me the gun I fired at my surrogate father was loaded with tranquilizers, and that he was alive, but unconscious. And it seems like everyone I know thinks that Cait and I look good together—Michael, Dom, and Marella have all mentioned it to me in the past—_and even though I'd never admit it, _I said to myself, _it's working._

_Oh, well,_ I said to myself as I went to bed that night, _I'll figure it out—eventually._

The next morning when Dom and I got to the hangar, we noticed that Caitlin wasn't there waiting for us, like we'd gotten used to. Dom proceeded to tell me that when they were flying back to the hangar last night, she'd told him she might not be here before us—in her words, 'something came up'—whatever the heck that meant, especially considering that she and Dom were at the cabin with me last night, along with Michael and Marella. I had to admit, I was surprised Dom hadn't said something about Cait not being at the hangar before now, but I wasn't going to worry about it. So Dom and I got the hangar opened up and ready for business, just as the FIRM's limo pulled up and Lauren stepped out.

"Mr. Hawke, Mr. Santini, Michael wants you to come to Knightsbridge right away." Lauren said, gesturing to the open door of the limo. Silently, Dom and I climbed into the limo for the ride to Michael's headquarters.

"Lauren, what's this all about?" I demanded. "And why didn't we wait for Caitlin?"

"That's for Michael to say," Lauren replied, and the conversation ended at that, much to my frustration. _But it's like Dom always told me and Saint John—'the only stupid question is the one you never ask.' _

During the ride to Knightsbridge, I had time to think about what happened when Horn kidnapped me, and I realized that Cait probably saved all of us, and Airwolf. _If she hadn't convinced Dom to bring her along, we might never have made it out of there alive,_ I said to myself. But my relaxation slowly began to turn to anger as I wondered what the hell Michael wanted—especially since Lauren wasn't talking. But all of a sudden, I started getting a very bad feeling about everything that was going on.

By the time we reached Michael's office, I was fuming, and Dom noticed. As we walked into Michael's office, I said, "All right, Michael. What's so all-fired important that—?" I stopped when I recognized Caitlin standing off to the side with Marella.

"Cait? What are you doing here? And how the hell did you get here before us?" I demanded, which only made her nervous. _Or at least,_ I said to myself, _more nervous than she already is_, I said to myself when I noticed her expression—she looked like she was ready to break down in tears, for some reason—and I suddenly got a bad feeling that _I _was that reason, with my attitude when I recognized her_._ _She looks like she's scared to death, _I said to myself—and, I know Caitlin O'Shannessy doesn't scare easy—_something else you have in common, _that pesky little voice in my head was saying, so I made a point to apologize to Cait when this was all over—whatever the hell _this _was.

Sensing how nervous Cait was, Michael took over. "Hawke, last night at the cabin, you said...something very interesting to Dom." I froze as I recalled exactly _what_ I'd said—the only thing that Michael could be referring to, and I knew why I'd suddenly gotten that very bad feeling. _Aw, no,_ I said to myself, knowing there was only one thing Michael could be talking about.

"_Besides, you know the old saying—If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have assigned me one!"_ I'd said. Don't ask me how...but I _knew_ that was what Michael was talking about. _Aw, no,_ I said to myself. _I didn't know Michael heard me say that. When am I ever gonna learn to keep my big mouth shut? _Then I understood why Cait hadn't been at the hangar this morning—before everyone left the cabin last night, I recalled seeing Marella whispering something to Caitlin, low enough that even my hypersensitive hearing couldn't understand all of it. _Marella must have picked Cait up at the hangar when she got there...or else she was waiting for Cait at her house,_ I said to myself, then heard Michael speaking again.

"Hawke," Michael continued, "after what you said last night, I've had some discussions with Zeus and the Committee, and the FIRM has decided that—that you need a wife. So—" I noticed him glance over at Caitlin as she shyly moved towards us. "Since you two already know each other, and from what I've been told, not to mention what I've observed myself, there's definite attraction beyond simple friendship, I think it's only right—" _He's not going to what I __**think **__he's going to do...is he?_ I asked myself angrily.

"Michael," I said, hoping that I had made the hostility in my voice obvious to everyone in the room, especially Michael, "are you _ordering _me to marry Cait?" I can only think of a few times that I'd ever disobeyed an order from Archangel—even though now that I think about it, most of those times have involved Caitlin, in one form or another—but if he was _ordering _us to get married, I just might have to disobey that one. _On the other hand, _I said to myself, _I hope Cait doesn't think I'm mad at her, for Pete's sake. It's not her...or Dom...or even Michael that I'm mad at. If anything, I'm mad at myself. I mean, if I hadn't opened my big mouth the other night, then I wouldn't be in this mess right now. _Then I forced myself to listen to Michael.

Michael proceeded to tell me that this wasn't an _order, per se, _more like...an 'assignment.' And, he added that I'd be foolish to refuse, which _really _made me think it was really a disguised order. Michael continued that he was expecting us to get married ASAP, and, at some point, to 'start working on a future Airwolf pilot or crewmember,' in his words—no doubt a FIRM euphemism for having kids, which I could see made Caitlin really embarrassed. _Not that I blame her,_ I thought to myself, realizing the absurdity of discussing sex in front of Michael, Marella, and Dom..._Heck, I'm embarrassed **for **Cait, _I said to myself. _But, it's not that Dom and I haven't discussed it before,_ I said to myself, recalling a few discussions between Dom and me when Kelly and I were dating, not to mention the time Kelly's dad told me not to get her pregnant, then he threatened me..._I've got a shotgun and a Bowie knife upstairs in my bedroom,_ her father had told me, _and I ain't afraid to use either one. Just so you know, son._ So, I'd had "the talk," as they say, a couple of times..._just...not about having sex with Cait, for crying out loud! _Now I was _really _upset—who the hell did Michael and Zeus think they were, anyway, deciding to order me to get married like this? I certainly hoped Michael could read my expression—Dom told me later that I had a look on my face that could burn through lead—whatever the hell that meant. All I knew was—I was angry at Michael. Probably angrier that I'd been in a very long time.

"String," Dom cautioned, noticing my expression, "I had nothing to do with this...you know that, right?"

"Yeah, Dom, I know," I sighed, then added, "And...I don't blame you." _If anything, I blame myself,_ I grumbled to myself again—_It was my big mouth that started this whole mess. _I knew why Dom said it, of course—even though he might agree with what Michael was doing, which I could tell he did, Dom wanted me to understand that he had _nothing _to do with what was going on. _I understand, Dom, _I said to myself, my anger lessening...just a bit. Finally, I turned on Michael, and just that quick, I felt my anger swelling up again. "All right, Michael...if that's the way you're gonna play it..." I stopped as Caitlin walked up to me and stared deep into my eyes...and I noticed something. _I don't think I've ever noticed it before...but she has the most beautiful eyes,_ I said to myself. Then she began to speak, and I forced myself to listen to her.

"String," she began nervously, "There's...somethin' I've been meaning to tell you for the longest time...but I never found the right way to say it. But now," she paused for a minute, gathering her courage, then continued, "considering what just happened, I feel like I want to say it—I love you, Stringfellow Hawke...and I've loved you since the day I came back here lookin' for you, last year." _I __knew it,_ I said to myself, then pulled myself back into the present when Cait started speaking again.

She paused for a moment, then continued, "And I know what you're worryin' about—the curse. But, String...look at the times I've been in danger since I've known you...Holly, the hijacking, Villers, and that other air service we were investigating...not to mention what happened with Bogan when I first met you...when Jenkins and Del Lomo kidnapped me...and of course, when you were kidnapped by Horn, _I _was the one who rescued you, Stringfellow Hawke...and even after all that—I'm _still here._ And...you love Bobby...and Le Van...and most of all, Dom...and they're all still here. Look—I won't make any promises, like I know happened before...but, String, I know this much—I know how I feel about you, and that I'd like nothin' better than to spend the rest of my life—however long that is, with you." When I looked down at Caitlin, I saw the fear...and the _love_...shining together in her eyes.

And, I hate to admit it...but—_she's right. Even before she __became a regular part of the Airwolf crew__, she's been in situations that could've gotten her killed...and yet, she survived,_ I said to myself, thinking of Dom's crazy niece, Holly Matthews, and how she'd forced Cait to fly through an Air Force security zone up to my cabin. _Cait evaded some of those missiles by herself, without Airwolf's help...plus, she managed to pull ole 4-4 Charlie out of a flat spin after she knocked Holly out...__not to mention the Anderson affair...which she did__, _I remembered thinking to myself later. And, of course there's what she told me Bogan's boys wanted to do to her back in Pope County before we showed up, plus, Cait had told me about a couple of times she'd been kidnapped while she was a cop, not to mention the time she told me she'd been shot during a traffic stop, and actually died on the operating table...but the doctors were able to bring her back—"_And, even through all that, I'm still here," _Cait had said to me. I knew why she didn't bring up those things that happened in Texas—_she figures we all already know about them, so there's no point in rehashing them. _I didn't know positively whether Michael knew all the details about Cait's time in Pope County, and everything that happened, but with the kind of background check that I'm sure he did on Caitlin, after the mission to rescue him from Kruger and Kinskov, I would be very surprised if he _didn't_ know all those details. Finally, I realized she was waiting for me to say something—problem was, I had no idea _what _to say.

"Cait," I said hesitantly, "this is crazy...we can't get married just because we've been ordered to..." Caitlin suddenly reached up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled my head down to hers, capturing my lips with hers in a deep and passionate kiss, one that even rivaled the one last year on the movie set. It took a minute, just like it had that day, but I warmed up to the kiss eventually, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her back. And, I had to admit something to myself—_this feels...right. Like...like she's supposed to be in my arms like this._ The longer Cait held the kiss, though, the more concerned I got. _Cait, we've gotta breathe sometime!_ I said to myself just before I felt her begin to pull back.

When she separated us, once she'd caught her breath, Caitlin said, "Oh, to heck with the 'assignment,' String! I love you—and I want to be your wife. What difference does it make how it happened anyway?" Caitlin demanded, then continued, "I guess...I guess it comes down to one question—How do _you _feel, Stringfellow Hawke?" She released her hold on me and stepped back, waiting for me to answer.

At that moment, if Cait could have seen what I was feeling, it probably would have made her airsick—it felt like my head and my gut were doing barrel rolls as I thought about what was going on here...but then, I realized something. _What she really means is—How do you feel about __**me, **__Stringfellow Hawke?_ I said to myself. And I realized something else—something that I've been ignoring for far too long—_I __do __love __Cait__...and I've loved her practically since the day she came lookin' for me...I've just—__I've just__ been too stupid to admit it...until now. And...she's right. About Bobby...Le Van...and Dom...__and even Ho Minh, Sam's son...but she was still in Texas when that all happened, __so it makes sense she wouldn't have mentioned him__. __I love all of them...and they're still here. But...that's a different kind of love, isn't it?_ I felt like the two sides of my brain were at war with each other, trying to get me to accept their points of view—one side was trying to maintain my current life—single, and alone. _Alone,_ the other side of my brain said angrily. _Haven't you been alone long enough? And...no, it isn't different,_ this voice was saying. I had to admit to myself, squashing the other voice, that I had been alone long enough—and I don't know how, or even when it happened, but I realized that day that I'd been in love with Caitlin O'Shannessy for a long time—probably ever since she came to the hangar looking for me, if not ever since I first saw her in that jail cell back in Pope County. I had to confess to myself that finally admitting my feelings for Caitlin would probably be the hardest thing I'd ever done—_especially since I'm doing it publicly, in front of Dom, Michael, and Marella—but I—I do love Cait...and not just the way good friends love each other, either. _

And something else suddenly dawned on me at that moment—something Dom had been tryin' to get me to understand for months—if Cait _hadn't _known me, she'd be dead _right now,_ along with the rest of Flight 093's passengers and crew, after those hijackers forced the plane into the Gulf of Mexico. _And that didn't happen because she knew me,_ I said to myself. _It was...it was just lousy luck._ Plus, I don't know what would have happened to Cait down in Texas if we hadn't showed up that first time—from what she's told me, she was nearly raped by a couple of Bogan's boys more than once, and she didn't know me from Adam back then. _That's where that nickname—'Sweet Britches__'__—__came from,_I remembered thinking to myself, as well as remembering Cait telling me how much she _hated _that nickname...and I couldn't say I blamed her for _that_. _Not to mention the time she told me about when she got shot on a traffic stop...and died on the operating table...but they were able to bring her back,_ I added to myself. Suddenly I felt the air in Michael's office change, and I felt like the last pieces of the defenses that I'd built around my heart had disintegrated; and the love that I'd always known I had for Cait was rushing in to fill the void...and as much as I hated to admit it—at least at that particular moment—it felt _good. _I realized that the thing I'd been fighting for the past few months—admitting my feelings about Cait—was exactly what I _needed _to do. Finally, I knew what I had to—_no, _I corrected myself—_what I __**want **__to do._ Smiling, I turned back to Cait and wrapped her in my arms.

"Cait, I—I love you, too," I said, kissing her again, to the delight of everyone else in the room. Even over the applause that spontaneously broke out as we kissed again, I swear I heard Michael sigh with relief.

"So...you'll follow through with the...'assignment,' Hawke?" Michael asked, and I could tell—even though he smiled at us, he was still nervous—so I realized I'd better say something to set his mind at ease.

"Yeah, Michael," I replied, shaking my head, "and...thanks. It might be the strangest way two people have ever gotten together, but...for some reason, with us...it fits. Don't ask me why." I had to admit something again—the longer I stood with Cait in my arms, the better it felt. _I think...I think I can really get used to this,_ I admitted to myself, and I noticed something—_she fits against me perfectly...like...like we're made for each other._ And, I remembered that kiss we shared on the movie set not long ago...once I warmed up, after the director chewed both of us out, telling us to make the kiss more realistic, I felt..._something_. I just didn't know what it was, until now. _It was...love,_ I said to myself. _Even then, I loved Caitlin. __I just didn't want to admit it...until now._

Laughing, Michael replied, "You might have a point there, Hawke. You just might have a point there."

As we left, I heard Marella say something to Caitlin, something that sounded a lot like "See? I told you so." _What the heck does she mean by that?_ I wondered to myself, resolving to ask Caitlin about it—later. Cait caught up to Dom and me quickly, though, and slipped her arm around my waist...and it just felt natural to slip my arm around her shoulders. _I hate to admit it, _I remembered thinking to myself later, _but __like I thought before—this __feels...right._

That night when I went home, I sat on the dock for hours, playing my cello and thinking about everything that had happened that day. Yeah, I'd finally realized that I love Cait...and that she loves me, even though I think everybody we know has been trying to get me to realize that for a long time. _Especially Dom,_ I said to myself. I remembered when Caitlin and I went to a retirement party for Ron Clevenger—he'd been part of the FIRM's legal counsel for years, but was retiring to go into private practice—and Cait and I went together. Marella told me later that when she saw us walking in together, it reminded her of a scene out of an old movie—or, one of those novels I've heard she likes to read. She said—she said she never saw a woman look more in love than Cait did that night...and I've gotta admit, I never put a lot of stock in what Marella had said..._until right now,_ I said to myself, having realized that Cait did love me...and that somehow, I'd fallen in love with her, too, even though I was ignoring it—and _fighting _it—for so long. And, I remembered how Dom had teased me for days after the party, about how in love Caitlin looked—and why I hadn't noticed it. _Well, it took me long enough,_ I said to myself as I finished playing, _but, I finally noticed, _I thought to myself as I pictured Caitlin's face again when I finally told her that I loved her, too. Finally I took my cello back inside and put it away, then headed upstairs to go to sleep—but not before finding one particular object.

When my parents died, Saint John and I received their effects after the autopsies and all were completed, and among the items recovered was Mom's engagement ring. At the will reading, the attorney read a codicil to Mom's will that he'd discovered, saying that if we were single when she died, whichever of us got married first, Saint John or myself, was to give the ring to his intended. _So, if she'll have it...and me...then this ring will belong to __Cait__,_ I said to myself as I went to sleep.

By the time Dom came to get me the next morning, I was a nervous wreck. I mean, I thought, judging from what she'd said in Michael's office, that what I wanted to do was going to go over well, but something just...felt strange. _If she says no,_ I said to myself worriedly, _I dunno what I'd do...and what __I'd do about the assignment. _I stifled a chuckle at the thought that had suddenly crossed my mind—_I'd __hate to have to tell Michael that Cait was the one who backed out on it, when __I know __he was so worried that __**I**__'d be the one to object to it. _And all of a sudden, I felt myself getting extremely nervous as I walked out to meet Dom.

"'Mornin, String!" Dom said as I climbed into the chopper and strapped into the co-pilot's seat. "How're you doing this morning, old buddy?"

"I'm a nervous wreck, Dom," I said truthfully. "You remember the note Mom wrote that was read at the will reading?"

"The one about Jane's..." The way Dom's voice trailed off just then told me that yes, he _did _remember the note. "So you've got it?" He asked.

I smiled and patted the front pocket of my shirt. "Right here, Dom," I said. "I just..."

"Don't do that to yourself, String," Dom said emphatically. "You heard Cait yesterday—she loves you...and she wants to be married to you. So I think you're gonna be just fine," Dom finished with a grin.

"I sure hope so, Dom," I said, still not completely convinced. "I sure hope so." I hated to admit it, even to Dom, but I was nervous—something I don't like being. _Well, dummy, you shoulda thought of that the other night before you __shot off__ your big mouth_, I said to myself.

I don't know why, but a part of me was hoping Caitlin wasn't going to be at the hangar when we got there. When I saw her walking towards the chopper, smiling, as Dom and I got out, I thought—_Well, __so much for that idea._

"Mornin', Dom," Caitlin said, then turned to me. "Hi, String." Before I could say anything, she wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a deep and loving kiss.

"Hi yourself, Cait," I said after she separated us, and I'd caught my breath. I glanced over at Dom, and he had a look on his face like he was thinking _See? I told you so! So...what are you waitin' for, buddy?_

_Well...here goes nothing. And...everything, _I said to myself. I took a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves, then I said, "Cait...there's something I need to ask you."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, String," Caitlin said, and I got a funny feeling from the sound of her voice, "ask away!" _If I didn't know better, I'd think she was as nervous as I am,_ I said to myself.

Smiling at her, I reached into my shirt pocket and pulled out the ring. "Okay, then," I said as I noticed her eyes flooding with tears. I got down on one knee in front of her and said, "Caitlin O'Shannessy...will you marry me?"

The silence that followed made both Dom and me nervous. Finally, Caitlin whispered, "Yes, String! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" She smiled as I slipped the ring onto the third finger of her left hand, then she took both my hands in hers and drew me up to her for another, more passionate, kiss. I knew then that the reason she took so long to answer me was because she'd been trying to find her voice, and I understood that completely. _Even though she knew this was coming, it still took her by surprise,_ I said to myself.

"String," Cait said when she'd separated us, "where did you get this?"

"It was my mother's, Cait," I said, then added, "when my parents died, there was a note that the lawyer read along with the wills, from my mother, that said that if neither Saint John or I were married when she passed away, that whichever of us got married first should give the ring to our intended. So," I said, smiling, "the ring now belongs to you."

"Oh, String," Caitlin replied, "It's...it's beautiful. And I can't believe it...it fits perfectly." She threw her arms around me and kissed me again. I have to admit, the fact that Mom's ring fit Caitlin's finger so well surprised me. _No doubt Cait would say that's just more evidence that we belong together,_ I said to myself. _Well...now, we will be._

"String," Dom said, "did Michael say how soon you two should get married?"

"He did say ASAP," I said as we heard the phone ring in the office. Dom walked over and answered it, Caitlin and me following close behind.

"Santini Air!" Dom said. "Oh, hello, _Michael,_" he continued, and I noticed the emphasis Dom put on Michael's name. He covered the phone receiver with his free hand and said, "Speak of the Archangel." Uncovering the receiver, he continued, "Yeah...well, they're officially engaged now...String gave her a ring this morning, so I guess..." I decided I'd had enough, and snatched the phone out of Dom's hand.

"Michael. Yes, Cait and I are officially engaged now," I said, smiling.

"Congratulations," Michael said, and I could almost picture the smile on his face. "Have you two decided on a date yet?"

"No...but I think the sooner the better, but I also think we ought to give her family a little warning." I recalled some of the discussions/arguments Caitlin had had with her mother, particularly after the hijacking. _If we got married and didn't tell Cait's mom, we'd both be in __**big trouble,**_ I said to myself.

Michael proceeded to ask me if a week from this coming Friday would be too late. "Cait?" I asked, covering the receiver with my hand, "Michael says a week from Friday. Would that be too late—or too soon?" I asked, thinking I already knew the answer. _Now that we're getting married, I'll bet she wants to get married as soon as possible,_ I said to myself, _but by the same token, we need to let her family __know. I get the feeling that if we got married and didn't let Cait's mom know, we'd both be in BIG trouble_, I thought to myself.

"As far as I'm concerned, not soon _enough,_" Caitlin said, smiling at me. _I knew it,_ I said to myself. "But, it's okay...I'll need to call Mom when you're done talkin' to Michael anyway, and tell her." I smiled and nodded at her, then turned my attention back to the phone.

"Michael," I said, "a week from Friday will be fine. All right, Michael. Thank you." I hung up the phone and glanced at Caitlin, whose eyes were shining with anticipation.

"I've gotta call Mom," she said excitedly, disengaging herself from me and picking the phone up again. A few moments later, she said, "Mom? Mom, it's Cait."

Of course, I couldn't hear what Caitlin's mom was saying, but I had a feeling what she'd asked when Caitlin said, "No, Mom...I'm not hurt. In fact, right now, I'm the happiest gal in the whole wide world. I hope you're sittin' down, Mom...'cause you're not gonna believe this." I heard Caitlin take a deep breath, not unlike I had a few minutes earlier, so I walked over and slipped my arm around her shoulders as she said, "Mom..Hawke and I...we're getting married."

_Now _I could hear what was going on at the other end of the line, as Caitlin pulled the receiver away from her ear and I heard what sounded like a blood-curdling scream coming from it. _She's either __ecstatic, or scared to death,_ I said to myself when the scream had stopped and Caitlin put the phone back to her ear again. _Problem is, I can't tell the difference. Oh, well...I guess I just don't know Cait's __mom all that well...yet._

"Mom? Mom, are you all right?" Caitlin asked, more than a little concerned.

_I'm sure she's okay, Cait,_ I said to myself. _She probably just doesn't believe what you just said...about us getting married._ Caitlin's next words confirmed that suspicion.

"Your hearing's just fine, Mom," Caitlin replied, even as she stared at her engagement ring. "And no, Mom...you're not goin' crazy. Hawke finally came around to our way of thinking...and we're gonna get married a week from Friday. And...I'd sure love it if you and Erin could be here."

_I figured she'd say that,_ I said to myself as Caitlin listened to whatever her mother had to say. Just then, Cait turned to me, saying, "He's right here, Mom," and handing the phone to me. I wondered if she could sense my anxiety level rising when she said, "Mom wants to talk to you," but she smiled and slipped her arm around my waist, much as I'd done for her a few moments ago, which helped me relax—a little.

"Stringfellow Hawke, _welcome _to our family!" Caitlin's mother shouted. "You don't know how long I've been hopin' I'd be able to say that!"

_Actually, __I think I do__, _I said to myself. Aloud, I said, "Thank you, Mrs. O'Shannessy," and just like that, Caitlin's mother interrupted me.

"Now you just hold it right there! Don't you be callin' me 'Mrs. O'Shannessy,' for Pete's sake, Stringfellow Hawke!" Caitlin's mother retorted. "You're a part of this family now, like I said before...so you call me 'Maggie' from now on, you hear me?"

"Okay...Maggie," I replied, smiling down at Caitlin. "Listen...there's one thing. I know you're probably thinking about having a big church wedding and all that...but I'm not real comfortable with churches...I was thinking just Cait and me, Dominic, you and Erin, along with a couple of friends of mine, and a justice of the peace, up at the cabin...if that's okay with you."

"Well, Stringfellow," Maggie sighed, and I immediately began to worry, "that's not the first choice I would've had for Caitlin's wedding...but if that's the way you two want it, then...I guess it's okay. So Caitlin says it'll be next Friday?"

"That's right," I replied, adding, "We'll do a rehearsal at my cabin on Thursday, and I'll be sending plane tickets for you, and Erin tomorrow."

"That's mighty nice of you, Stringfellow Hawke," Maggie said, then added, "Let me talk to Caitlin again, please?"

"Sure, Maggie," I replied, handing the phone back to Caitlin. I have to admit, I was beginning to feel a lot better about this whole thing, although I was still a little anxious about meeting Maggie face-to-face. _But, __Cait and I'__ll face that together,_ I said to myself.

Just about the time I thought I'd get out of this without hearing..._the question..._the same one Kelly once told me her father asked her about me, I heard Caitlin shout, "_MOTHER!" _I swore I could hear Kelly's dad's voice, in one of the first conversations I ever had with him—_Now son, don't you go getting my little girl pregnant, you hear me? Because I've got a __shot__gun, and a Bowie knife upstairs, __and I'm not afraid to use either one! Just so you know. _I knew without thinking that Caitlin's mom had asked if she was pregnant. And, Caitlin confirmed my thoughts a moment later when she said, "No, Mom. I'm not pregnant...and I'm sorry for yelling just now." I made another mental note to myself—_Before you announce to Cait's mother that she __**is**__ pregnant—whenever that happens—make sure you __and Cait__ both have earplugs._

Then, Caitlin sounded even _more _embarrassed. "Mom, that's really none of your business," she said, and I had a feeling I knew what her mom had asked—something to the effect of, "Now that you're getting married, I sure hope that's not going to be a permanent condition—is it?" Or something along those lines. _I know __Dom wouldn't mind a surrogate grandchild—or two,_ I said to myself, recalling some of the comments he'd made along those lines. _But there's no need to rush into that, for Pete's sake._

"I know, Mom," Caitlin said, her voice shaking momentarily. "I know. Okay...we'll see you then, Mom. Love you, too. 'Bye!" Caitlin hung up the phone and turned to me, her eyes shining again.

"Something wrong, Cait?" I asked, concerned.

"Oh, Mom was just sayin' how she thought we were only getting married 'cause I was...pregnant," Caitlin said, embarrassed. _I knew it,_ I said to myself. Caitlin continued, "And how she hoped that wouldn't be a permanent condition, now that I'm getting married...and also how much she wished Daddy could be here to see me get married and walk me down the aisle," Caitlin added, "which reminds me...Hey, Dom!" She called out to Dom, who was standing a few feet away from the office.

"Yeah, Cait?" Dom asked as he walked up.

"Dom," Caitlin said, taking hold of his hands, "There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, kid," Dom replied, smiling. "Ask away!"

"All right," Caitlin said nervously. "Dom...I would...I would really be honored if you would walk me down the aisle at our wedding." Dom was startled at the request, and didn't respond immediately. Finally, he felt like he could answer Cait.

"Me?" Dom said after a moment. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, Dom," Caitlin replied, smiling warmly at him. "I mean, you've been like a father to me ever since I came here...not to mention pushin' as hard as you did to try and get String and me together...and you've been a wonderful father to String...so...would you do this for String...and me?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Cait," Dom said, his eyes watering, "Cait, the honor would be all mine." He pulled her into a warm, friendly embrace as I moved up to him and said, "Thanks, Dom." I knew without having to ask him why it took Dom so long to answer Cait—I knew he was thinking about his daughter Sally Ann—and how he'd never be able to walk _her _down the aisle. I simply glanced over at him and smiled, and he smiled back.

"Yeah," Caitlin replied. "Thanks, Dom."

Later that afternoon, while Cait and I were taking a walk, I said, "Cait...when we left Michael's office the other day, what did Marella mean when she said, 'See? I told you so.'?"

"Well...before you guys got to Michael's office, Marella and I were talkin'...I was telling her how nervous I was about this whole idea...Michael 'assigning' us to get married and all—and how you'd react to the whole thing—and she said, 'I don't know why, but I think everything's going to be just fine.' I think she was a little worried at first, just like I was...but..." Caitlin stopped and looked up at me just then. "Everything did turn out just fine, and that's why she said it."

"Yeah," I admitted. "Everything did turn out just fine. And, I'm sorry for making you so nervous the other day...or at least, more nervous than you already were."

"Thanks, String," Cait replied. "I gotta admit, I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, even _before _you guys got there...then when you reacted like you did..."

"I know, Cait," I said, pulling her close to me. "And, I'm sorry." _And I'll spend the rest of my—no—of __**our**__ lives—__trying to make up__ for it,_ I said to myself.

"Well," she replied, "at least we don't have to go through _that_ again." She smiled up at me.

"That's true," I said, and the expression on Caitlin's face reminded me once again why I loved her so much. _And she's right,_ I said to myself, knowing that even with the strange way it started, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Caitlin.

Then, Cait asked me a very strange question—at least, I thought it was strange at the time. "By the way, String, did you notice what happened when you told me you loved me yesterday?"

"What do you mean, Cait? Nothing—"I suddenly realized what Cait was saying—_nothing bad happened. Even after I told her what I was feeling...that I loved her...nothing bad happened. _I had to pull myself back into the moment when I heard Cait saying something.

"_Exactly, _String," Cait said as she smiled up at me. "_Nothing happened. _The Earth didn't swallow me back at Michael's office...there wasn't somebody hidin' in the back seat of my car to kidnap me when I left here last night, nobody grabbed me from behind when I left the house to come in today..._I'm still here._ Do you get it?" Caitlin asked me. _Yeah, Cait,_ I said to myself as I smiled down at her. _I—I think I do get it._

"Yeah, Cait," I said. "I—I think I really do get it."

"I'm glad, String," Cait said, before she kissed me again. I started wondering about something—_could something have...I dunno...__**sent **__Cait here...to me? To prove to me that the curse really doesn't exist? I suppose I'll never know the answer...but it does make a whole lot of sense, when I think about it,_ I said to myself.

A few days later, we were all surprised to see the FIRM limousine pull up to the hangar again. _Not __again, _I said to myself as the limo slowed to a stop.

"What now?" I demanded as Lauren stepped out.

"Michael would like all of you to come to Knightsbridge immediately," Lauren replied as she opened the rear door to the limo. Without a word, Dom, Caitlin and I climbed in and the limo started off toward Knightsbridge. _Here we go again,_ I said to myself. I had a feeling Lauren wouldn't say anything about what was going on, but I felt like I had to ask. Like Dom once told me and Saint John—_The only stupid question is the one you never ask._

"I don't suppose it would do any good to"—I started, but Lauren cut me off.

"Michael will explain when we get there," Lauren said, effectively ending the conversation. _That's what I figured,_ I said to myself angrily.

By the time we had reached Michael's office, I was once again fuming—and Caitlin noticed. She reached for my hand and took it in her own, and when I turned to look at her, she smiled up at me and said, "Relax, String." I forced myself to calm down, even smiling slightly at Caitlin as Michael walked into the office.

"Relax, everyone," Michael said, smiling at us. "This isn't a mission. This is—well...consider this...a wedding present, Hawke." He stopped as the doors opened and Marella led another man into the office—a man I almost didn't recognize, through the flood of tears that had erupted in my eyes.

_Dear God, _I said to myself, _I'm looking at a ghost!_ "S—Saint John? Is it...really you?" I asked as I fought back tears. _I've gotta be sure,_ I said to myself. I remembered two years ago, when a group of terrorists called the _Schwartzkrieg _had disguised a man as Saint John to get me to reveal Airwolf's location, and I'd fallen for it—hook, line, and sinker. _I'm not about to do that again, _I said to myself.

"DNA tests confirm it, Hawke," Marella replied, almost as if she knew what I was thinking. "This _is_ Saint John Hawke—no doubts about it this time." She handed me a folder full of medical reports, and after looking at them for a few seconds, I suddenly felt a great deal of gratitude that Marella had recently become, as Dom put it that day in the hospital, 'a _doctor,_ doctor'. Marella had included notes on several pages to explain some of the medicalese that the reports were written in, and I was grateful for that.

"Yeah, little brother," the man standing in front of Dom and me replied. "It's me. I'm home, String." Even though I had indisputable scientific proof, in the form of the reports Marella had given me, hearing that voice, the voice I'd begun thinking that I'd never hear again—except in my dreams at night—was all the confirmation I needed. Without thinking, I let go of Caitlin's hand and ran over to Saint John, engulfing him in a friendly embrace which Dom joined a few seconds later. The three of us held each other for several minutes, until I finally realized how terribly rude I'd been, and said, "Cait...come over here. Saint John...meet Caitlin O'Shannessy...my fiancée."

"It's—wait a second. _What_ did you just say?" Saint John demanded, confused. "_Fianc__é__e__? _You're getting _married, _little brother? Man, I have been gone a long time!" We all laughed as Saint John continued, "Well, Caitlin...first off, let me say, it's a pleasure to meet you, and welcome to our family. String, there has _got _to be a story behind this."

"Yeah, Sinj, there's a story behind it all right," I acknowledged. Marella brought in coffee for all of us, and I told Saint John the story of how I'd met Caitlin two years ago, when she came to the hangar to tell me about my friend Jimmy being killed, and now we were just a few days away from being married. _Of course I have to leave out the part where Michael "assigned" us to do it,_ I said to myself, _but that's __just details...__and Sinj doesn't need to know that part of it._

All of a sudden, I got nervous—_How am I gonna explain Archangel to Saint John?_ I said to myself.

Saint John took the conversation on a different track, though. "Well," Saint John said when I finished the story, "I'm sure surprised at this news...I mean, after Kelly, I didn't think you'd ever get this serious about anybody again, little brother...but I'm looking forward to your wedding day next week. You're getting married at the cabin, then?"

"Yeah, Sinj," I replied, "and I would really like it if..."

"You even have to ask, little brother? It would be an honor," Saint John replied.

Something had been bugging me ever since I saw my older brother. "I just have one question, Sinj," I said. "Where have you been all these years?"

Saint John went on to explain how, after being freed from the NVA prison camp, he'd planned to come back to the States and reunite with Dom and me...but during the debriefings, agents from another division of the CIA had stopped him and the other members of 1st Air Cav that were rescued with him, and suggested they form a kind of clandestine ops unit—capable of recon, strike, and a multitude of other operations. From the way Saint John described it, it didn't sound that different from what Cait, Dom and I do with Airwolf.

"I figured you and Dom thought I was dead anyway, String," Saint John said sorrowfully, "so I didn't see the harm in it. If I'd known how long you've been looking for me...I never woulda taken the assignment...or I would've found a way to get back here a lot sooner...anyway, a few days ago, some of Michael's people found us, and informed us that our services were no longer needed...so, here I am. And," he said, smiling at Caitlin, "it appears I've arrived just in time." When I heard him say that some of Michael's people had been the ones who found him and convinced him to come home, I relaxed considerably. _At least I won't have to explain Airwolf...__or __h__ow I know Michael to Saint John...__yet__,_ I said to myself, relieved.

At that point, I wasn't exactly sure how I felt—I mean, I was ecstatic that the brother I'd thought was dead was alive, and sitting across the table from me—but at the same time, I was angry. Saint John had been gone for _fourteen...__no...__**sixteen **__years, _and never even _tried _to contact me, or Dom. But then, I thought about it for a bit, and I decided that if I'd been in his shoes, I probably would've done the same thing. _Heck, we __**do **__do the same thing, _I said to myself after Saint John described the capabilities of the unit he'd been in command of. _That unit did a lot of the same things Cait, Dom and I do with Airwolf—and, I'll probably have to introduce Saint John to Airwolf sooner or later—__assuming Michael doesn't immediately demand that I live up to my end of the bargain, and give Airwolf back to the FIRM, __now that Saint John's home__. __And __Saint John__ had no idea that I was lookin' for him, _I said to myself. Not to mention his unit's security classification—_Top Secret Umbra, the __**highest **__classification in the U.S. __Military,_ I said to myself. When I heard that, I immediately understood why I'd had so much trouble finding out anything about him—where he was, whether he was alive or dead, and anything else that might have jeopardized his unit—_and him_. Finally, I knew what I wanted to say to my older brother.

"Saint John," I began, and I saw him tense up, "I hope you realize that I should be absolutely _furious_ about all this...but, I—I just can't be. Heck, if the roles were reversed, I might've done the same thing. So...I forgive you, Sinj...I'm just glad you're home!" I smiled at my older brother, and Saint John, relieved, returned the gesture.

"Michael, who the _hell _is this, and _what the hell _did he do with my kid brother?" Saint John demanded, but we all saw the spark of humor in his eyes, me most of all. "Oh, I'm just kidding you, String...but," he continued, glancing at Caitlin, "I think I know what's happened here. Caitlin, whatever magic you've worked on String, please, don't ever stop."

"Don't you worry about that, Saint John," Caitlin replied, smiling at my older brother. "After everything I've been through to get this guy, I'm not letting him go for a_ long time!" __I have to admit,_ I said to myself, _that makes me feel good...and I'm not planning on letting Cait go for a long time, either. _

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Saint John said, smiling at both of us. Then he asked, "What do you mean, 'after everything I've gone through to get this guy', anyway, Cait?" Just like that, I got nervous again. _Uh-oh,_ I said to myself, knowing that I wasn't ready to discuss Airwolf with Saint John yet, even though I knew I'd have to somewhere down the line.

"Oh, just all that talk about him havin' some kinda cockamamie curse on him," Caitlin added, and I think she realized the slip she'd almost made. _Nicely covered, Cait,_ I said to myself as Marella came back over to us.

"Saint John," Marella said, "I—I have some things I need you to look over. Could you come with me, please?" I had a feeling I knew what was going on—she wanted to get Saint John out of the room so that Michael and I could discuss my turning Airwolf back over to the FIRM, now that Saint John had come home.

"Sure, Marella," Saint John said, winking at the three of us as he stood up. As soon as the door to the office closed, Michael turned back to us.

"Well...first of all, Stringfellow, I have something to tell you—even though our deal is now moot, with Saint John being home, I had a long discussion/argument with Zeus yesterday—and, I'm pleased to tell you that he came around to my way of thinking—that Airwolf, in the hands of you three, is the best field tool we have. Not to mention the fact, as I told you two years ago, Hawke, even if you _did _return her, there's no way the President would ever let the FIRM use her again, which Zeus finally agreed would probably happen. So, for our purposes, she's all yours...provided you continue flying her, as needed, for us." Michael waited a few moments to gauge our reaction, and was not surprised to see our jaws collectively drop.

"You're—you're serious, Michael?" Dom demanded. "The Lady...is ours, just like that?" I have to admit, I was surprised, but happy, to hear this news. I never thought Zeus would allow me...make that _us..._to keep flying Airwolf now that Saint John was home. And, I noticed Dom's relief at hearing that he wouldn't have to give up his "baby," as he calls the Lady.

"Yes, Dominic," Michael replied. "I'm serious. Now, that doesn't mean another agency like the DOD, NSA, or CIA might not try to recover Airwolf, like Bogard's Department of Public Security did...but it does mean that I can now run official interference for you. Now," Michael continued, "I know you've probably been wondering what Marella and I will say to Caitlin's mother on Friday." I nodded, as I had been wondering how we would explain Michael and Marella to them. "Well, for that day, we will just appear to be old friends of your father's...nothing more, nothing less."

"Thank you, Michael," I said, relieved that Michael had thought about what he would say if Maggie, or Erin, became curious. "We appreciate that." I glanced over at Caitlin and saw her smile at me. _Just another worry off both our minds,_ I said to myself.

When we got back to the hangar, I said, "Cait, I'm—I'm sorry I was so rude back at Michael's office—I was just so shocked to see Saint John alive, I didn't think." I have to admit, I wasn't sure what to expect, so when Caitlin smiled at me, I was both surprised and relieved.

"Hey, String, it's okay," Caitlin replied as she smiled at me. "I mean, you hadn't seen Saint John in _sixteen years..._so, I understand why you acted the way you did. I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes. And, he seems like a nice guy. I'm lookin' forward to getting to know him," Caitlin finished.

"Well, he certainly seemed to like you well enough," I said, smiling at Caitlin. I had to admit to myself, seeing that my brother seemed to like Cait made me feel a lot better. And, it felt good having a woman in my life again—and, the fact that Cait was that woman made it even better.

I remember one night when Cait and I went out to dinner—she asked me if Saint John had always called me "little brother." I said he did, because he was, after all, the older of the two of us, and "little brother" kind of became his unofficial nickname for me. When I asked her if the nickname bothered her, she just smiled and said, "No, String. I was just wonderin'...that's all." Then she stood up, leaned across the table, and kissed me, right in front of the whole restaurant, which burst into spontaneous applause.

"Sorry about that," Cait said when she separated us, and I saw her cheeks turn a slight pink.

"That's okay, Cait," I said as I grinned back at her.

Saint John started coming to the hangar to help us out, and I started taking Caitlin out every night after work. I remember one night after we came back to the hangar, I overheard Dom saying, "You better believe it does, Saint John!" I figured he was talking about me, and that night when Dom flew me back to the cabin, he confirmed it—Saint John had said my face had to be killing me, from all the smiling I'd been doing the past few days, but he also said he thought it looked good that I was smiling so much.

_Just like Bobby said,_ I thought to myself as I got out of the chopper at the cabin. That night, I suddenly realized—_the rehearsal's tomorrow. I wonder how Cait's doing right now,_ I said to myself as I climbed into bed. Within a few minutes, I was fast asleep, dreaming of our wedding day.

After work the next day, Dom flew Maggie, Erin, and Saint John up to the cabin. Michael and Marella had flown up with Judge Clevenger, and I brought Caitlin with me. The rehearsal went quickly, and before long, we were all enjoying Dom's spaghetti and garlic bread. Suddenly, Maggie stood up and turned to me. I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say, and I was proven right just a few seconds later when she apologized to me for all the mean things she'd said—and written—to Caitlin about me. I simply smiled and said, "Thank you, Maggie. I accept your apology, even though I don't think I really deserve it. Let's face it—I was being incredibly stupid about Caitlin for a long time...and you were just telling her, and by extension, _me, _how you felt."

"That's mighty nice of you, String," Maggie said as she smiled at me. _I think she's reevaluating her whole opinion of me, _I said to myself. I also knew instinctively that hearing Maggie and me getting along was another worry off Caitlin's mind. _As if she hasn't got enough to worry about,_ I remembered thinking to myself that night.

Later that evening, Dom took Maggie, Erin, Saint John and Caitlin back to the hangar, leaving me alone in the cabin. I took a quick look around the cabin as I realized how my life was changing..._and it's a good change,_ I mused to myself as I went upstairs to bed. _Like I said before, it's a weird way to do it...but I'm happy to be marrying Cait...maybe this is what was supposed to happen._

The next morning, I was showered and dressed in a sweater and jeans when Michael, Dom and Saint John arrived. Michael had assured me a few days prior that the records of our marriage were being sealed with a Top Secret Umbra classification. "It's the least I can do," Michael had said, "after sort of forcing you into this." Michael had grinned nervously at me, and was relieved when I grinned back at him.

"Thank you, Michael," I replied. "Cait and I appreciate that."

"Mornin', String!" Dom called out as he walked in with Saint John. "You ready for this?"

"Yeah, Dom, I'm ready. I never thought this would happen...but I'm ready."

"Come on, String," Saint John said, slapping me on the back, "let's get you upstairs and changed." Saint John and I went upstairs to the sleeping loft, Dom following close behind.

"Ah, String," Dom said a few minutes later as we finished putting our tuxes on, "it was a good day when Cait came to the hangar looking for you...even if you were too bullheaded to realize it." I smiled as I began fiddling with my tie, and Saint John moved to help me.

"Here, let me help you with that," Saint John said, shaking his head as he fastened the tie. "I gotta admit, String, you clean up pretty nice." Saint John teased me as we both slipped on our jackets.

"Thanks...I _think," _I replied, grinning. I turned to Dom and said, "You're right, Dom...and as far as my being bullheaded...well, that's just...me, I guess." Saint John and Dom both laughed, but they both knew I was right.

Just before we went downstairs, Saint John put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Hey, little brother...something's been bugging me for a couple of days. Cait's engagement ring...was that...?"

_Uh-oh,_ I said to myself, knowing I should have talked to Saint John before I gave Mom's ring to Cait...but he wasn't home at the time. Aloud I said, "Yeah, Sinj...it was Mom's ring. You remember the codicil that the lawyer read at the will reading, don't you? I know, I know—I should've talked to you about it first, but...I couldn't. I'm sorry, Sinj," I said, hoping he could forgive me.

Saint John paused and thought, for about two seconds. Finally, he said, "String, don't worry about it. Yeah, I told you back in Da Nang that I wanted to be able to give Mom's ring to Nori, but look—we don't know where she is...or even if she's still alive...and if she is, whether she's married or not, or even still loves me. Heck, she could be married with six kids, for all I know. Besides," he said, smiling at me, "I saw how well Mom's ring fit Caitlin—I guess maybe Cait was supposed to have it all along. I was just surprised, that's all," he said, then gave me a friendly, brotherly embrace.

"Thanks, Sinj," I said, relieved that my giving Mom's ring to Caitlin wouldn't put any strain on my relationship with my older brother, and especially that it wasn't going to put any damper on the most important day of my life. We went downstairs and finally sat down around the dining room table.

"By the way, String," Saint John said to me as we sat around the table, "there's a couple of people I'm curious about—a little boy named..."

"Le Van?" I finished, and was surprised when my brother smiled and nodded. "Then, he's yours?"

"Yeah," Saint John replied. "I heard he was living with his uncle Darren and Aunt Minh...she's somebody else I'm kinda curious about."

"Well," I said hesitantly, not wanting to bring up the circumstances behind Minh's death..._or the fact __that Darren's behind bars,_ I said to myself. Aloud, I said, "Minh died...about a year ago. Le's been living with us for a while..." Just then, I heard Le barge in the front door. He'd been outside, playing with Tet in the back of the cabin, and hadn't seen Dom and the others come in.

"Uncle String, what's going..._DAD!" _Le shouted as he ran over and hugged my brother.

"When did you get home?" Le demanded.

"A few days ago," Saint John replied. "And I promise, I'll tell you where I was as soon as I can. Uncle String and Aunt Caitlin taking good care of you, partner?" I had to admit, hearing Saint John refer to Cait as Le's 'Aunt Caitlin' surprised me, even though we were about to make it official. Then I remembered—_Le's been calling her 'Aunt Cait' for a while now...especially when I've been around. Wonder why he started doing that?_ I asked myself.

"Yeah, they've been real nice to me," Le said, and the smile on his face could have lit up the cabin for the next year. "Uncle String, why didn't you tell me my dad was home?"

"I thought I'd save it for a surprise," I said, not wanting to admit that telling Le that Saint John was home had completely slipped my mind, with everything else going on.

"Wow...you and Aunt Cait are getting married and I get my dad back all in the same day," Le said, grinning. "I can't believe this."

"Neither can I, Half-Pint," I said, smiling. "Neither can I."

Saint John had to laugh. "He's been calling her 'Aunt Cait' all this time? Guess he knew somethin' you didn't, little brother."

"Yeah," I agreed, recalling how many times I'd told Le that Cait _wasn't_ his aunt...just a good friend. "But that's all changing today. And," I said, grinning even wider, "Cait never seemed to mind."

"Uncle String," Le said, "Aunt Cait told me she didn't mind me callin' her that...she said maybe it'd give you a kick in the hind end...or somethin' like that...I don't remember. But, I'm glad you're gonna be marryin' Aunt Cait today...you two look good together," Le said, and I had to agree with him.

"Thanks, Half-Pint," I said, smiling at him. "I think Cait and I are good together." Dom, Saint John, and Le all nodded. "Guess that makes it unanimous," I said, knowing Michael and Marella would agree, if they'd been with us, that is.

About an hour later, I turned my head towards a sound only I could hear. I don't know how, but I knew it was a Santini Air chopper, and Saint John and Michael, who came up along with Dom, caught the sound a few seconds later.

"Promise me you'll show me how to do that someday," Saint John said with a smile. I nodded as Michael moved slowly towards the window, arriving there a few seconds before the chopper left the dock. As quickly as he could, he herded the rest of us towards the back door of the cabin, telling us that it was Caitlin, Erin, and Maggie. He also said that Lauren, Judge Clevenger, and Marella would be arriving shortly.

"Hawke," Michael said, "I'm surprised...you don't seem the least bit nervous about this." I smiled at his comment before I responded.

"Michael, it's like I told you that day in your office. It might be the weirdest way two people have ever gotten together...but for some odd reason, it fits with us. And, deep down, I know that this is what I want—I want to marry Cait. So, why should I be nervous?"

"I can't argue with logic like that," Michael said, grinning at me.

A few minutes later, as we all stood outside, Erin came around the back of the cabin looking for us. "There you guys are," she said, smiling at Saint John and me. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Well, no wonder you couldn't find us, Erin," I said, smiling. "We haven't _been _everywhere." She stifled a grin, but then her expression turned serious—_deadly _serious. _What could she be so upset __about? _I asked myself nervously. A moment later, I got my answer.

"String, I've got somethin' I forgot to tell you last night," Erin said, and both Dom and I immediately tensed. "I'm sure glad you came to your senses about Cait...but I'm only gonna warn you once—you hurt her, and I'm comin' back here to beat your brains in myself! I taught Cait everything she knows about fightin', I'll have you know!" I saw her smile as she said it, but I knew she was serious. _Heck, if Saint John was getting married, I'd probably be the same way with his fianc__é__e__. So it's no big deal,_ I said to myself. _And I understand why Erin's saying that,_ I said to myself, remembering how Cait had told me things had gone bad between Erin and her now ex-husband. _But t__hat's not gonna happen between Cait and me,_ I said to myself. _I'd just as soon hurt myself as hurt Caitlin...and __she__ feels the same way about me,_ I thought to myself. 

"Erin," I replied with an easy grin, "I understand...and just for the record, I don't plan on ever doing anything to hurt Cait...it sure took me a long time to realize it...but I love your sister very much. But I'll say this—if I ever _did _do anything to hurt Cait, then I wouldn't stop you from doing whatever you felt like you had to do." I smiled at my almost-sister-in-law, a smile I hoped would reassure her, and I was relieved when she smiled back at me. _I don't think you've got anything to worry about, Erin,_ I said to myself. _I love Cait way too much to ever do anything like that. And besides, if I ever __**did**__ anything __that stupid, Cait would probably beat the crap out of me before you got the chance to. _

"I'm glad we understand each other," Erin replied, smiling, then she drew me into a friendly embrace. "And last night, it was obvious to me, and to everybody else, how much you and Cait love each other. Welcome to our family, String. We're sure happy to have you!" I simply smiled and said, "Thank you, Erin." Then, I noticed Erin's expression grow puzzled as she separated us and noticed Archangel. "I'm sorry, sir...I don't believe we've met."

"Sorry, Erin," I said. "This is Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III...he's a friend of my parents'." Hawke said as Michael came forward and shook hands with Erin.

"A pleasure to meet you, Erin," Michael said.

"Likewise," Erin replied, then turned back to Saint John and me. "All right, you guys...it's about time." Michael and I headed towards the dock where Judge Clevenger stood, while Saint John and Dom walked with Erin to the cabin to line up for the start of the ceremony.

The sound of a quartet of violins caught my attention a few moments later. _Nice touch, Michael,_ I said to myself. Erin came towards us on Saint John's arm, and I could see Caitlin and Dom standing in the doorway of the cabin.

As the bridal march began, I saw Caitlin on Dom's arm, looking more beautiful than I had ever seen her. The dress she wore was a simple, white column of silk, along with a cream-colored wool shawl to protect her bare shoulders from the slight breeze coming across the dock. I silently reaffirmed what I'd felt for a long time as they reached me, and Dom gave Caitlin's hand to me—_Caitlin O'Shannessy is __the most beautiful woman I have ever known. No question about it. _I noticed the tears in Caitlin's eyes as we turned to face the judge, and I knew she saw tears in my eyes, too.

"Dearly beloved...we are gathered here today to join these two young people in the bonds of marriage," Judge Clevenger said. "From what I've been told, Stringfellow Hawke and Caitlin O'Shannessy have had a long and...interesting journey to get to this time and place, together." I smiled at Caitlin and wondered if she was thinking the same thing I was—_Y__our Honor, y__ou have _**no**_ idea._

"I've been informed that String and Caitlin each have something they'd like to say," the judge continued.

"Cait," I began, "I know I've done a lot of things wrong...especially in how I treated you when we first met—and if I could take it all back, I would. But I promise you this—from this day forward, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I love you, Cait...forever and always...and I promise that I will always be here for you...no matter what." I glanced down at Caitlin and saw the tears of joy and love shining in her eyes.

"String," Caitlin replied, "you know how I feel about you—I told you before that I have loved you since the first day I saw you back at the hangar. And I am so proud, and so happy to be standing here with you today, and that we're going to be together forever. I understand why you denied your feelings as long as you did, but none of that matters anymore. All that matters now is that I love you, String...always, and forever...and I promise you that I will always be by your side...to love and support you...no matter what."

"Stringfellow Hawke," Judge Clevenger said after a moment's silence, "do you take Caitlin O'Shannessy to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise to love her and comfort her, all the days of your life?"

I smiled and replied, "I do."

"Caitlin O'Shannessy, do you take Stringfellow Hawke to be your lawful wedded husband? Do you promise to love him and comfort him, all the days of your life?"

Caitlin looked deep into my eyes, and with tears of love and joy shining in hers, she replied, "Yes. I do."

"The rings, please," Judge Clevenger said, as Saint John handed them over.

"Stringfellow, take Cait's ring, place it on the third finger of her left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring,"_ I replied.

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed."_ I slipped the gold band onto Caitlin's finger.

"Caitlin, take Stringfellow's ring, place it on the third finger of his left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring..."_

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed." _Caitlin replied as she slid the ring onto my finger.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the great state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Judge Clevenger finished, as I pulled Caitlin into my arms and kissed her. As the small crowd burst into applause, Judge Clevenger said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke!" We kissed again as the applause rang out across the lake.

"We made it, String," Caitlin said happily after we separated.

"Yes, we did, Cait," I replied, smiling at her. "Now...we're together forever."

"I love you, Stringfellow Hawke," Caitlin said proudly.

"I love you too, Caitlin Hawke," I replied, even as I thought about the chain of events that had led Caitlin and me to this point. _This is what was supposed to happen,_ I said to myself. _Caitlin and I...we belong together. And now...we are._ Cait and I happily accepted congratulations from everyone present, and then moved into the cabin where Dom had made dinner once again.

"String," Saint John said several hours later as they prepared to leave, "congratulations. I have to say...I think Cait's good for you. I don't remember the last time I saw you so happy."

"Thanks, Sinj," I replied, smiling. "I don't think I've been this happy for a long time. I'm especially happy that you were able to be here today," I finished, drawing my older brother into a friendly embrace.

"Me too, String," Saint John replied. "Me, too." Finally, Michael, Erin, Maggie, Dom, Le and Saint John had left, and we were alone at last, standing on the porch of the cabin wrapped in each other's arms as we looked out over the lake. Suddenly, Caitlin turned in my arms and kissed me with everything she had, pouring all the love she felt for me into it, and I responded by quickly returning her passion with my own. When she separated us, I knew she was hoping that I would be able to read the desire in her eyes.

Without a word, I scooped my bride up in my arms and headed upstairs to the sleeping loft. As I set Caitlin back on her feet, our feelings for each other erupted again in a passionate kiss. When we separated, Caitlin shyly grinned and said, "Just...be gentle, okay? It's..."

"I know, Cait," I replied, smiling. "I know."

Later, as we lay in bed side by side, wrapped securely in each other's arms, I wondered if Caitlin was having similar thoughts to mine. _I never thought I could be this happy, _I said to myself as I began drifting off to sleep. _But I know Caitlin and I belong together. __Even...even as hard as I fought it for so long, I realize—now—that Cait is my soulmate...the woman I'm supposed to be with._ I smiled as I recalled the words that started this whole chain of events. _"If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!" Well...at least they assigned me the _right_ one,_ I thought to myself as sleep finally claimed me. _I—__I just __couldn't imagine my life without Cait. And now...I don't have to. _As I slipped deeper into sleep, I felt...something different in the air in the cabin. It was like...like something...or someone...was trying to tell me that things were going to be all right. _For now, and for __always, _I said to myself happily. I mean, I know I've made an awful lot of bad choices in my life where women were concerned, but somehow, some way, I got this one right. _And, I'll spend the rest of our lives showing Caitlin just how happy I am that she's my wife,_ I said to myself.

Eight months later, during another after-mission discussion, our conversation turned to my marriage, and Michael told me Zeus had even commented on how much happier I seemed as a married man. Suddenly, Dom asked Michael why he never got married, and Michael said he never found the right woman. _Which is ridiculous,_ I thought to myself as I recalled Marella describing how she'd evaded that tail to come to the hospital and tell us about the Russians capturing Michael. _When Marella said she'd lost her tail in a porno house, I knew that she loved Michael—the same way I love Caitlin. Not to mention when she told me she'd go with me if she could—I remember she sounded like she was ready to break into tears—just like Cait, after she thought I'd died in Horn's compound. But,__ j__ust like Cait with me, Michael, the right woman's right under your nose. __And, just like I was, you're bein' too dumb—__or __too stubborn—to __notice it._ Then, I had to stifle a laugh when Michael said, "I guess I'll say the same thing to you that you said to Dominic a while back—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!" _Careful, Michael,_ I said to myself, knowing there was an intercom system installed in the office, and Zeus had a habit of eavesdropping on Michael, and not letting Michael know about it. Sure enough, a few weeks later, we were all summoned to Zeus' office, and we learned that Zeus _had been _spying on Michael that day, and overheard his comment, when Zeus assigned Michael and Marella to get married, much like Michael had done with Caitlin and me. _Why am I NOT __surprised? _I asked myself, stifling a smile.

"Michael," I said, "at least think about what Zeus is suggesting. You never know," I continued, winking at Marella, and then at Caitlin, "you might wind up as happy as we are." I turned and smiled at my wife, even as I noticed Dom trying—and failing, _miserably—_to keep from laughing. Suddenly, Michael lost the tenuous hold he had on his temper.

"Mind your own goddamned business, Hawke!" he roared, angrily. Then he suddenly got a very embarrassed look on his face, like he was remembering my reaction to him doing almost the same thing eight months ago. _I __suppose I deserved that, _I said to myself. _Anyway, I __can't very well get mad at Michael for reacting that way,_ I said to myself, remembering how angry I had been at him, when this whole thing started eight months ago.

"I'm sorry, Hawke," Michael said quickly, and I wondered if he'd noticed that I wasn't angry at him, "That was uncalled for."

"Apology accepted, Michael," I replied. "Guess now you know how I felt eight months ago."

"As a matter of fact, Hawke, I do," Michael replied.

A few weeks later, after another post-mission discussion, I said, "Michael, you seem...different," as we finished our discussion, in Michael's office.

"In what way, Hawke?" Michael asked, and I said I wasn't sure, but that he seemed..._happier, _for lack of a better term. And I meant it—ever since Michael and Marella began seeing each other, personally, Michael does seem happier—a lot like I've been, ever since Michael gave me the 'assignment' to marry Caitlin, and with Saint John being home.

"Well, Hawke," Michael said, glancing at Marella, "I am happy...I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I think...I think Zeus might have had the right idea."

"_I heard that, Michael!_" Zeus' voice came over the loudspeakers in Michael's office—and he did _not _sound happy. Of course, I'd heard how Michael had found that loophole—that he and Marella didn't know each other well enough, personally, to think about getting married—and I knew from experience that Zeus was most likely none too pleased that Michael and Marella were taking this long to fulfill their assignment. I guessed I wasn't surprised that Michael had decided that he and Marella didn't know each other well enough, even though they'd been working together for at least the past three years. _I mean, I don't know when Marella became Michael's personal aide, but I know they've worked together __at least as long as Dom and I've flown for them,_ I said to myself.

"I know, Zeus," Michael replied to the air. "I suspected you might be listening in—that's why I said it." The grin on his face told me that was why he'd done it at that moment—he'd known Zeus was probably listening. Then, Michael invited Caitlin, Dom, and me to his home for dinner, the first time he'd ever done that—and I got a suspicion I knew the reason why. _He's finally gonna ask Marella to marry him._

When Cait and I got to Michael's house that night, I noticed Marella had a very anxious expression—and Cait noticed it, too, walking over and talking with Marella about something, but I couldn't figure out what. Finally, as I walked back over to my wife, I heard her say, "I'll make sure and tell Michael what an idiot he is!" But when I asked what Cait and Marella were conspiring about, Caitlin just looked up at me and said, "Oh, girl talk, String. "Nothin' you'd be interested in." So, I left it at that, but I still had the feeling I knew what was going on—but that we'd have to wait. Then, I figured out—at least, I _thought_ I did—why Marella was looking so anxious—_she's worried that Michael __**isn't **__going to propose tonight,_ I said to myself. _Now, I get it...__and I get why Cait said what she did...heck, if Michael __doesn't propose tonight, __**I'll**__ tell him what an idiot he is,_ I said to myself.

After dinner, which was punctuated by Marella's numerous attempts to figure out what Michael was up to—which Michael resisted admirably—Dom fixed everybody a glass of champagne just before Michael sat Marella down and finally proposed. From the way she was suddenly staring at her engagement ring, I had a feeling Cait knew what was about to happen, and I saw her expression when Michael finally proposed. I told Michael that he could have his wedding on the dock, just like we did, and that I would stand as his best man, while Cait stood with Marella as her matron of honor. After all, Cait, Dom and I are among the few people that Michael and Marella consider friends...and the feeling is mutual. I mean, I know Michael and I don't see eye-to-eye on everything, but I also know he considers me his friend—I remember him saying as much when we went to talk to him and found out about how the Committee had built another Airwolf. And, I remembered Dom saying, _"I love to see a __Fed GROVEL."_ I hated to admit it, but seeing Michael apologize to Dom and me that day for accusing us of stealing a shipment of weapons and ammo, and look so uncomfortable doing it, did give me a strange sense of pleasure. And, even though I don't acknowledge it as often as I should, I consider Michael and Marella two of my few friends, also—which was why Cait and I were happy to do this for them.

So, now we've come full circle, and Cait and I are standing as Michael's best man and matron of honor for his wedding to Marella. Dom gave Marella away, just like he did with Cait, and the only other guests were Dom, Le, Saint John, and Zeus. I noticed tears in Cait's eyes just before we walked down to the dock together, and I said, "You remember, don't you?"

"Yeah, String," she said, smiling at me. "I remember _everything._" I smiled at my bride, because I remembered everything about our wedding day as if it had happened the day before.

"So do I," I said, giving her arm a loving squeeze as we walked down the pier to our places on the dock.

I noticed Michael get nervous when Judge Clevenger said "If there is anyone here who can show good cause why these two should not wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." _Like that's going to happen,_ I said to myself, stifling a smile. _There's nobody here who would stop this—especially me._

Finally, Michael and Marella exchanged rings and vows, and Judge Clevenger happily pronounced them husband and wife. We all congratulated the happy couple afterward, and Zeus embarrassed everyone when he said, "Don't make me have to chaperone any rooms back at Knightsbridge when you return from your honeymoon in two weeks. We have closets for that." I struggled to keep myself from laughing, and when I glanced at Dom and Cait, they both had similar expressions. _It is funny,_ I said to myself, _although I don't think Marella thinks so_. Even though Marella wasn't prone to blushing, I could definitely tell she was embarrassed—and, just like I'd been embarrassed for Cait when Michael insinuated about Cait and me having sex eight months ago, I was embarrassed _for _Marella. And, I think Dom and Cait were, too.

"_SIR!"_ Marella cried out, shocked. "You can't believe that we would behave unprofessionally while at work!"

"Actually, I don't believe you would, Marella," Zeus replied. "Nor would Michael, I don't think."

Michael proceeded to reassure Zeus that he and his bride would act professionally at all times while on duty, and Zeus responded that he was glad to know that. _Doesn't surprise me in the least,_ I said to myself after dinner as we watched Zeus' and Michael's helicopters leave, followed by Dom's helicopter taking Saint John back to the hangar. _On the other hand__,_ I said to myself, _I do know that Michael's office is totally soundproof, so unless Zeus listens in on that microphone/speaker setup of his, who knows what Michael and Marella could get away with?_

Once Caitlin and I were alone, I proceeded to tell her—and then _show_ her—once again how happy I was that we were finally together, and I thought back to the words that I'd uttered that started this whole mess—_If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have ASSIGNED me one! Well, at least they assigned me—and Michael—the __**right**__ ones, _I said to myself as I pulled Caitlin's body tight against mine. _Who would have thought that those few carelessly spoken words could make four people so happy? _I asked myself. And once again, I felt something changing in the air around the cabin, as if to say that everything was going to be all right—for _all of us. For now, and for always,_ I said to myself happily as I pondered our futures—_together_.


	4. Chapter 4

_If The FIRM Wanted Me To Have a Wife...Chap. 4_

A/N #1—Thanks as always go to **Riabhach, Sirius7, Ms. Anonymous, jareya, bamboozlepig, and OldSFfan** for their reviews/feedback.

I don't remember where I heard it—maybe in one of my psych classes in college, or somethin', but I remember somebody once said that the words we use can shape our reality...or somethin' like that. And I have to admit, I never really put a lot of stock in that—until recently...when a few carelessly uttered words changed my life, along with the lives of three of my closest friends, including my very _best _and closest friend—even though I can't call him just my 'friend' anymore...I'll explain that later—forever.

I remember the night it all started—we were all up at Hawke's cabin, celebrating Robert Phelps' rescue from those kidnappers who took him and his son, Bobby, because they wanted Robert's advanced airplane designs—it was me, Dom, Michael, Lauren, Marella, and Hawke, of course. After dinner, the group kinda split up into smaller groups—Michael, Dom, and Hawke were talkin' about something, I couldn't tell what, so I decided to talk to Marella...about things.

"Glad Robert and Bobby are doin' okay," I said.

"Yes," Marella replied, "I know Michael was concerned about that...and of course, I remember what Bobby said at the clinic." I recalled that, too.

"_Listen, Robert—the next time you get one of these high-tech brainstorms of yours, I wish you'd let me know. I'll get the FIRM to...assign a couple of people to keep their eyes on you guys!" Michael said._

"_Like HER?" Bobby said, smiling at Catherine, the blond FIRM agent who was sunning herself a few feet away. _I remember the look on Bobby's face, and how we all laughed. Heck, even Catherine smiled at him. Which is understandable—Bobby's a cute kid...not to mention, sweet as all get out.

"I sure hope Bobby didn't draw a picture of Catherine," I said, smiling as I recalled the black-and-white picture he'd drawn of String—and of course, the one of String and Tet that String has framed. I still remember when Bobby told String, _You look good when you smile!_ I remember thinkin' to myself, _You're danged right he does, Bobby!_ And, I've seen String smilin' a lot more recently, but not surprisingly, he wasn't smiling tonight. I guess he was thinkin' about Saint John, his older brother, and wonderin' if they'll ever see each other again.

"Actually, I think he _did,_" Marella said, smiling back at me. "At least, that's what I heard the other day."

_Why am I not surprised? _I asked myself, and stifled a grin. When I glanced over at Hawke, I saw that the men were busy talkin' about something, and it looked to me like they didn't want to be disturbed, and that Michael's pilot, Lauren, was distracted by Hawke's art collection, so I said, "Hey, Marella...let's go outside for a few minutes." I dunno why, but I got a feeling there was something on Marella's mind, and I figured she'd want to talk in private.

"All right," Marella said, noticing my expression.

"Caitlin, may I ask you something?" Marella said as we walked away from the cabin.

"Okay," I said in reply, not exactly sure what she meant.

"How do you feel about Hawke? Really?" Marella asked me. I had to admit, that was the _last _question I expected to hear—and, I knew there was only one way I could answer it. _Marella wouldn't appreciate if I lied to her,_ I said to myself.

"I figured you knew," I said, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. "Marella, I love Hawke. I think I've loved him ever since the day I saw him in that jail cell back in Pope County. I dunno...maybe that's why I came back here to find him after his friend Jimmy got killed."

"I figured as much," Marella said. "I've seen the way you look at Hawke sometimes...especially after a mission, or something like that. And, there's what Michael told me after you helped Hawke and Dominic rescue him from East Germany last year."

"What did Michael tell you?" I asked, nervously. Now, I was _really _embarrassed, but I tried not to let it show.

"Nothing much," Marella replied, laying a hand on my shoulder to relax me, "just that whenever he mentioned Hawke's name, your eyes would light up. Michael told me afterward that he got the feeling even then that you had feelings for Hawke."

"Yeah. I mean—heck, Marella, you know what I mean," I said. "I've felt like that about String for a long time...when he kissed me on that movie set last year, even before the mission to rescue Michael, I really thought String felt somethin' more than just friendship for me. And when I thought...when I thought he'd died in my arms, after I gave him that antidote at Horn's compound, I realized just how much I love him." Sadly, though, I sighed and shook my head. "But who am I kidding, anyway? It doesn't matter how much I love String...he doesn't feel the same way about me, so I'm just kidding myself if I keep wishin' for something else."

"Cait," Marella began, and I got the feeling that she was about tell me somethin' that she didn't really want to say, "I—I know how you feel. In a way, what you're telling me sounds a lot like the..." The way Marella cut herself off _really _got me curious.

"Now wait a minute. You wait _just a minute_," I said. "You're not gonna put somethin' like that out there and just leave me hangin', I hope. What did you mean by that?"

"Nothing, Caitlin," Marella replied, sounding somewhat sheepish. _Right. If you think I buy that, Marella, then you've got another think coming! _I said to myself.

"With all due respect, Marella—that's baloney," I shot back. "I told you how I feel about Hawke...so c'mon, out with it. You're obviously hidin' feelings about somebody...and, I think I've got a pretty good idea who that 'somebody' is. If I guess...and I'm right...would you tell me?"

Marella hesitated before she finally answered me. "All right," she agreed.

"You've got feelings for Michael," I guessed, and by the look on Marella's face, I knew I was right. "You feel about Michael the same way I do about String—you love him, right?"

"Yes, Caitlin, I do love Michael," Marella replied, almost embarrassed that her secret was out. "I don't know when I fell in love with him...maybe that day at Red Star when Moffet stole Airwolf, and Michael threw me down onto the floor just before Moffet opened fire on the base—or maybe it was when Krueger and Kinskov captured Michael in East Germany...but somewhere along the line, I fell in love with Michael, just like you did with Hawke."

"Hey, Marella," I said, trying to soothe her concerns, "don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I won't tell a soul...I promise."

"Thank you, Caitlin," Marella replied. We walked back into the cabin as I heard Michael saying, "I know, Hawke. Just...think about what I said, will you?"

I recognized the look on Hawke's face, 'cause he'd looked at Michael like that more than once since I've known him...he was tryin' to say, _Butt out, Michael..._or somethin' like that...and I sure hoped Michael would get the message. Hawke's told me about when Michael sent Gabrielle to Libya after Angela got captured and murdered by Moffet...and how, when Michael told him about it, Hawke slugged him. But just then, somethin' changed in Hawke's expression, and I felt...well, I felt somethin' I haven't felt before, let's put it that way...and all I could think was, _Oh, String...don't you know how badly I want you? Even with all those ghosts from your past you carry around, there's nothin' I'd love more than to be your wife...if you'd ever pull your head outta your ass and realize how I feel about you...How much...I love you, Stringfellow Hawke._ All the same, I kept wonderin' what Hawke and Michael had been talking about that had Hawke so ticked off.

Just then, Michael came up and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Caitlin, could I speak with you a moment? Outside?"

"Sure, Michael," I said, following him outside again. I gotta admit, I was a little curious as to why Michael wanted to talk to _me, _without Dom and String. _Can't be about a mission, _I said to myself. _If it __was, Hawke would be here. What does Michael want?_ I asked myself, worried. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long for the answer.

"Caitlin," Michael began, "Hawke just made a...very interesting comment."

"Really?" I asked. "What'd he say this time?"

Michael smiled. "Well, he and Dom were talking about the future...and how Dom wished there were someone around to take care of Hawke when..." He couldn't continue, but I had a feelin' I knew what Michael was talkin' about. _Dom wants to know somebody'll be there after he...after he dies, to take care of String...__and I gotta be honest, I'd love to be that somebody...as String's wife,_I said to myself, then pulled myself back into the present when Michael started talking again.

"Anyway," Michael continued, "Hawke said, and I quote, 'Besides, you know the old saying—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!' Now, this may well be one of the craziest ideas I've ever had...but..."

I thought I was gonna blow my stack right there. _If Michael thinks I'm gonna just stand by and let him assign somebody from the FIRM to marry String, then he doesn't know me very well—__and he sure as heck doesn't know how I feel about String!__ And he's got another think coming! _"Now, wait a minute. You wait _just a minute, _Michael! You mean to tell me that—that you're gonna _assign_ someone to marry String?" I demanded, and from the look on his face, I got the feelin' that Michael hoped Hawke hadn't heard my outburst. _And so do I,_ I said to myself. Hope Hawke hadn't heard my outburst, that is. That would be _so _embarrassing. All the same, now I knew why Hawke looked so upset. _And, to be perfectly honest, I can't blame him,_ I said to myself.

"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes," Michael said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "What I'm suggesting, Caitlin...I overheard you talking to Marella a few minutes ago...not to mention what you said to Dominic when we were discussing rescuing Hawke from Horn, and I caught your expression back at the clinic when Bobby gave String his drawing...it's obvious to me how you feel about Hawke...and I have to say, you might be just the person to prove to him that this 'curse' of his doesn't really exist...and I was wondering if..."

I wasn't angry any more...now, I was shocked. Or maybe scared to death at what I thought Michael was suggesting...I'm not real sure...but I suddenly remembered somethin' my daddy used to tell me—_Never assume anything, Caity girl. 'Cause it just makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me.' _ I never really got what Daddy meant by that—until just then, when I realized that I'd made a huge assumption—and I'd made an ass outta myself all at the same time. And, I couldn't help wonderin' if Michael noticed how jealous I'd sounded, when I thought he was just gonna assign some woman from the FIRM to marry String. My shock quickly gave way to confusion as I considered what I thought was going on here. _Okay, just hold the phone here...Is Michael saying that he's gonna..._**order **_Hawke to marry me? _I've gotta admit, I've had thoughts—and _dreams—_about bein' married to String for quite a while...and those thoughts have only been stronger since Horn kidnapped String, and I thought he'd died in my arms after I injected him with that antidote Michael gave me. And after all, I did tell Dom, '_Dom, don't do that to me. I care about him, too, y'know. Probably MORE than you __know'! _I didn't think Michael had heard me say that to Dom, but I couldn't very well pretend it didn't happen. But considering that I didn't want to feel like an even bigger ass than I already did, I said, "Wait a second, Michael...you're not sayin' that you're gonna..._**order**_ String to marry me?"

"Not...in so many words, Caitlin," Michael had said. "Hawke said he thought that the FIRM would assign him a wife...so, if you both are agreeable to this...assignment..."

I remember I thought about what Michael was suggesting...for about two seconds. Then, excitedly, I walked over to him and said, "Michael, if this idea of yours works_..._and String doesn't decide to kill both of us, then next to Hawke, you'll be my favorite person in this whole world," I said, smiling as I hugged him. From the look on Michael's face just then, I got the feelin' that he was thinkin' about the time Hawke decked him, after he found out Gabrielle had been sent to Libya. _'Course, it ain't me you need to convince, Michael,_ I said to myself. _It's String._ And I had a sneaking suspicion that would be one of the hardest things Michael had ever tried to do in his whole life. _Good luck, Michael,_ I said to myself. _I think—no, I **know—**that you're gonna need it._

"Of course, you'll be free to invite anyone you wish to witness the ceremony. In fact, once you two decide when you'd like to be married, just let me know, and my friend, Judge Ronald Clevenger, will perform the ceremony." _Hopefully __down __on the dock, _I said to myself, knowing String wasn't overly religious. I know Mom isn't gonna be real crazy about that—Mom's what I like to call "old-school" Roman Catholic...Most of us Irish people are, and that was definitely the case with Daddy...and he got Mom to subscribe to that way of thinkin', so Erin, my brothers and I were all raised Catholic.

"There's one other thing," Michael added. "If at all possible, let's try to keep this our little secret, until I have a chance to explain it to Hawke...probably tomorrow morning, if everything works out."

"No problem, Michael," I said with a smile. "Your secret's safe with me." I hoped my expression convinced Michael that I meant what I said, and when he nodded at me, I felt like he was convinced that I wouldn't tell a soul.

When Michael and I walked back into the cabin, however, I couldn't keep a very satisfied smile off my face, and Hawke noticed it. "What did Michael have to say that's got you smiling like that, Caitlin?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing, String," I said, and hoped the tone of my voice would convince him that I didn't want to discuss it any more. Fortunately for me, he left it at that.

Later that evening, just before Lauren, Michael, and Marella left the cabin, Michael walked up to me and whispered, "Marella will see you in the morning." I subtly nodded, hoping that Hawke or Dom didn't catch my expression, then said good-bye to all three of them.

Dom and I said good-night to String, and walked out to the Santini Air chopper to head back to the hangar. Once we were in the air, I said, "Dom, I may not be at the hangar in the mornin' when you guys get there. Somethin'...somethin' came up." Just like with String a few minutes ago, I hoped Dom would get the message that I didn't want to discuss exactly what that "something" was.

"Okay, Cait...String and I'll hold the fort down when we get there, until you get back from...whatever it is you're doing." I hated not being able to be honest with Dom—he's become like a second father to me, and Lord only knows, he's tried to get String to see sense about me more than once—but, Michael told me to keep it quiet, and I wasn't about to go back on my word.

When we got back to the hangar, Dom said good-night to me, and drove off for home, but I didn't feel like I could drive yet. I sat in my car for a good fifteen minutes, thinkin' about what Michael and I had discussed back at Hawke's cabin. _Sure...if it works, I'll have everything I've ever wanted...not to mention I'll be Hawke's wife...but if it doesn't work out, Hawke'll probably never speak to Michael...or _**me...**_again. And...and I just couldn't handle that._ Then, for some strange reason, somethin' else hit me—Le Van, the boy we think might be String's nephew, had been callin' me "Aunt Cait" for the past month or so, especially around String and me. I remember I told him—more than once, actually—"Le, I'm not your aunt—just—a real good friend of your Uncle String's." But he kept sayin' "Aunt Cait" whenever he talked to me, and I have to admit, the more I heard it, the more I liked the way it sounded...especially since I knew that bein' Le's 'Aunt Cait' would mean I was married to his Uncle String—if Saint John is really Le's father, that is—which is exactly what I want. I figured maybe hearin' that so much would give String a good old-fashioned kick in the hind end...and that he'd decide to make it official, and marry me, so I decided not to say anything more about it.

Finally, I felt like my stomach had settled enough that I'd be able to drive home without causing any problems, so I left the hangar. By the time I got home, though, I was a nervous wreck, again. As I was driving home, I couldn't help but think about what might happen if Hawke didn't go along with this idea of Michael's, and the thought, quite frankly, had me scared half to death. _I—I don't even want to __think about it any more,_ I said to myself as I climbed into bed. _I'll just have to think positive, and hope for the best. _

I woke up the next morning with a combination of anxiety, fear, and anticipation—Marella would be at the house in a few minutes to take me to Knightsbridge...and then, they'd send the limo for Hawke and Dom, and once we were all together, Michael would spring his...'assignment' on Hawke. _What's Hawke gonna do? _I asked myself for probably the thousandth time. I dunno why, but I got the sinking feeling that when Michael made the suggestion for this 'assignment' to Hawke...that _all hell _was gonna break loose.

I made a decision right then—if Hawke _doesn't _go along with the idea and marry me, then I'm gonna—I'm gonna pack up my stuff and head back home—to Texas. I don't want to leave, especially since Dom and I are such good friends—like I said before, he's almost been like a second father to me—but if String decides not to go along with this idea, I couldn't bear the thought of seein' him every day at the hangar, and knowing how much—I love him, and how we could have been together, if only he'd drop this cockeyed idea that he's cursed.

I mean, I guess I can understand why he thinks that way—Dom told me all of it. First, his mom and dad died when some drunk idiot plowed into their boat out on the lake, up at the cabin; then another drunk hit the car that he was driving, along with his high school sweetheart, Kelly...and she didn't make it. Plus, he and his brother Saint John were in Vietnam and went down on the same mission—but Saint John didn't get picked up, and he's been missing for almost sixteen years...and then finally, of course, Gabrielle, the woman who flew Michael up to Hawke's cabin to inform him of Moffet's theft of Airwolf.

But I look at it this way—_nobody _could have stopped either of those accidents...the one that took his parents, or the one that took Kelly...and as for Saint John, I don't think he counts, 'cause nobody knows where he is. _String would probably hate me for the rest of his life if he ever heard me say that,_ I thought to myself, _but it's the truth._ And as for this Moffet character, I don't think he gave a rat's you-know-what that Gabrielle was in love with Hawke...if he even _knew_ they were in love. Moffet, from what I've read and learned about him, saw Gabrielle as an obstacle—nothin' more, nothin' less—just somethin' to be eliminated.

And I can take care of myself just fine, thanks so much. I mean, I've been in danger a bunch of times since I came here to California...and even a few times back in Texas, when I was dealin' with Bogan and his bunch of crooked buddies. _Who hung that danged nickname on me,_ I said to myself—they used to call me _"Sweet Britches"_—somethin' I've always hated, 'cause I knew what they meant by it. They tried to rape me more than once, but I was able to stop 'em...those karate lessons I took when I was a kid really paid off, I guess, not to mention the extra training I got when I went through the police academy...and the 'training' my sister Erin gave me when we were kids. I actually _did _almost die once, after I got shot during a routine traffic stop—the surgeon told me I did die while I was on the operating table and they were tryin' to get the bullet out—but, they were able to bring me back—and, I didn't know Stringfellow Hawke from Adam back then. Plus, I was kidnapped a couple of times during my time with the Texas Highway Patrol...but, I managed to get away. And of course, there was that time when I was flyin' home to Texas for Erin's wedding and the plane I was on got hijacked..._that one _should count _double, _as far as I'm concerned...'cause if I _hadn't _known Stringfellow Hawke back then, I wouldn't be talkin' about this now...'cause I'd be _dead,_ along with the rest of the passengers and crew of Flight 093—we either would've drowned, because the plane started filling up with water after some rivets and plates got loosened, or we would've suffocated when the plane's air ran out.

And I remembered how Holly Matthews, Dom's niece, asked me to fly her up to String's cabin, and what almost happened...she'd told me before we left that Hawke had made love to her...and I sure hoped like heck that she was lyin' to me...but I never got a chance to ask her about it, 'cause she pulled a gun on me to force me to fly through an Air Force security zone, and we almost got shot down by a couple of F-15's that the Air Force scrambled when I wouldn't move out of the zone—'course, nobody had any idea that a crazy woman was holdin' a gun on me, and I couldn't exactly say anything about it, or Holly would've blown me away—but we survived, with a little help from String. When String shot down one of the missiles those F-15's were firing at us, it distracted Holly long enough for me to knock her out and take the gun away from her...even though the chopper almost augured in before I was able to get control back...but I did. I remembered thinkin' to myself later—_Even a crazy woman could see that I care about String...and she watched us kiss on that movie set...that's what made her turn against me...so she obviously thought String loved me, too. So what the heck does that make String,____since __**he **__refuses to see that? Dumb question, Caity girl...it makes him a danged fool, just like Mom said...and you know it,_ I said to myself.

And Dom's tried to explain all that to String, probably more times than I even know about. All those thoughts were goin' through my head when I heard the doorbell ring, and found Marella standin' at the front door. I smiled at her, grabbed my purse and jacket, and headed to the limo for the ride to Knightsbridge.

When we arrived at Knightsbridge, Marella ushered me into Michael's office, and the three of us began discussing the plan. "Don't get me wrong," I said, smiling nervously. "It's not that I don't _want _to marry him, Marella...it's just..."

"I think I understand," Marella said, smiling back at me. "You're worried about Hawke not going along with this idea...aren't you?"

"You guessed it," I said, nodding. "I mean...this idea of Michael's sounded great last night...but when I got home, I started worryin' about what's gonna happen today...and I think if things don't go the way you and Michael think that they will, then I'm gonna probably pack up my stuff and go home...to Texas. I just...I couldn't stay here, knowing..." I felt my nerves catching in my throat again, and cut myself off before I started crying, or something like that.

"Cait, relax," Marella said, bringing over a cup of tea. "I don't know why...but I think everything's going to be just fine." I smiled nervously and accepted the tea, even as I wondered what was going on back at the hangar. _What's Hawke gonna say when the limo gets there? _I asked myself, trying to force myself to relax.

I have to admit, when the door to Michael's office buzzed a couple of hours later and String walked in with Dom, my heart was in my throat. I didn't know what he was thinkin', but from the look on his face, I got the impression that Hawke was _boiling mad._ Even more ticked off than that time...never mind. I just knew he was severely ticked off. He demanded, rather roughly, I thought, to know what was so all-fired important that Lauren couldn't even wait for me...of course, I had asked Dom to tell String that I wouldn't be at the hangar when they got there, but I hadn't told them where I _would_ be—and neither one of them had any idea I'd be _here, _of all places.

Michael then proceeded to mention Hawke's comment from the other night, and if I didn't know how ticked off Hawke was when he and Dom came in, I certainly knew it when Michael finished_._ The look on Hawke's face right then could have burned through _lead..._and I glanced over at Marella and saw her thinkin', probably about what she'd told me just before Hawke and Dom walked in. _Don't worry, __Marella,_ I said to myself, _if things don't go the way you said they would, I won't hold it against you._

Then Dom spoke up, saying he hoped String understood he didn't have anything to do with whatever was going on...and String said he understood that. _Dang,_ I said to myself. _If Dom and Michael had joined forces...String wouldn't stand a chance. _But from what Dom had just said, I knew he was trying to distance himself from Michael's plan. I glanced over at Hawke, and noticed that his expression had softened, a little, and I got the feelin' that he was thinking that if he hadn't said what he had the other night at the cabin, this wouldn't be going on. Then, Michael made a comment that just about made me faint—he said somethin' about "working on a future Airwolf pilot...or crewmember," or somethin' like that. And I remembered thinkin' to myself, _What the heck does he mean...__OH—MY—GOD!_ It suddenly dawned on me that what Michael had said was that once String and I were married...we should start tryin' to have kids...and I'll be perfectly honest—other than bein' married to String, there's nothin' I'd like more than to be the mother of String's babies—a couple of kids with his eyes and my red hair...yeah...that'd be just about perfect. But just the _thought_ of sleeping with String, especially the way Michael described it, made me even more nervous, and uncomfortable, than I already was. I mean, don't get me wrong...I—I _want _to sleep with String...someday...but the way Michael just dropped it out there in the middle of the conversation _really_ made me embarrassed...and I sure as heck hoped nobody could see how embarrassed I felt.

Finally, I knew I had to say something...and more importantly, I knew what I _wanted_ to say. "String," I began nervously, "There's...somethin' I've been meaning to tell you for the longest time...but I never found the right way, or the right time, to say it. But now—" I paused for a minute, gathering my courage, and thought to myself, _Well...here goes nothin'...and everything_, then continued—"considering what just happened, I feel like I want to say it—I love you, Stringfellow Hawke...and I've loved you since the day I came back here lookin' for you, last year. And I know what you're worryin' about—the curse. But, String...look at the times I've been in danger since I've known you...Holly, the hijacking, Villers, and that other air service we were investigating...not to mention what happened with Bogan when I first met you...when Jenkins and Del Lomo kidnapped me...and of course, when you were kidnapped by Horn, _I _was the one who rescued you, Stringfellow Hawke...and even after all that—I'm _still here._ And...you love Bobby...and Le Van...and most of all, Dom...and they're all still here. Look—I won't make any promises, like I know happened before...but, String, I know this much—I know how I feel about you, and that I'd like nothin' better than to spend the rest of my life—however long that is—with you, String." When Hawke looked down at me, I was hopin' he saw the love shining there in my eyes...and that he could see past the fear that was also there. _I'm not mentioning those other things—the ones that happened to me in Texas—here, _I thought to myself. _Besides, Hawke already knows about 'em...__heck, Michael probably knows, too,_ I said to myself, knowing the kind of background check Michael had to have done on me the minute he found out I was working with Hawke. But when I think about how many times I've been knocked out, tied up, shot at, almost raped, held hostage, and with every other time I've been in danger, both as a cop and since I've become part of the Airwolf crew, String's objections to getting close to me look pretty danged ridiculous—at least in my opinion.

Hawke hesitated, telling me that the whole idea was crazy, and we couldn't get married just because somebody ordered us to. Finally, I decided that I needed to take matters into my own hands—_literally_. _Okay, that's it. Enough is enough already_, I said to myself_. _Without thinking, I reached up, wrapped my arms around Hawke's neck, and pulled his head down to me, capturing his lips with mine in a deep and passionate kiss, not caring about the three people staring at us. _Right now, I've only got one thing on my mind, _I remembered thinking to myself—one way or the other, I was gonna show Hawke that, even though we were being _ordered, _or, in Michael's words, "assigned" to get married, that I wanted to be with him, to be his wife, more than anything I'd ever wanted in my whole life.

When I separated us, once I'd caught my breath, I said, "Oh, to heck with the 'assignment,' String! I love you—and I want to be your wife. What difference does it make how it happened anyway?" I demanded, then continued, "I guess...I guess it comes down to one question—How do _you _feel, Stringfellow Hawke?" I released my hold on him and stepped back, waiting for his answer. And I had to admit something—when String finally put his arms around me, I had never felt so—_right_, for lack of a better word. _Like I'm supposed to be in his arms like this,_ I said to myself, remembering how I felt the same way when he kissed me on that movie set last year. And I noticed that my body fit against String perfectly. _That tears it,_ I said to myself. _Now, I __**know**__ String and I are made for each other...I just hope like heck he figures it out...soon._

From the look on Hawke's face, I got the feelin' that his emotions were doin' barrel rolls, or something like that. And mine were acting just as confused and tangled as I imagined Hawke's were. The longer Hawke stood there, silent, the more nervous I became. _Come on, String! Make up your mind, already!_ I said to myself, trying to prepare my mind, and my heart, for whatever his decision would be, whenever he got around to makin' it.

Just about the time I thought about saying something, Hawke turned to me and wrapped me in his arms again...and when I looked up at him, I saw him smiling...something I've rarely seen from Hawke since I've known him, and something that made him, if it was humanly possible, even more attractive than he already is. Then, his words made my heart skip a beat—or two. "Cait...I—I love you, too." With that, he lowered his head to mine again and kissed me, to the extreme delight of everyone else in the room. And, I decided something right then—_even though it sounds corny...and overly romantic, I've found my new favorite place...in String's arms, just like this._

I couldn't believe it—_String__finally __told me he loves me! _I suddenly began feelin' a lot better about this whole thing, especially after what I'd just heard. Finally, when Hawke separated us, after what I thought was not _nearly_ long enough, Michael asked him if he'd follow through with the 'assignment.' As he held me in his arms, the way I'd always dreamed he would, Hawke said, "Yeah, Michael, and...thanks. It might be the strangest way two people have ever gotten together, but for some reason, with us, it fits. Don't ask me why." _I couldn't agree more, String,_ I said to myself, resolving not to call him 'Hawke' anymore, unless I was _severely _ticked off at him. _And now, I know what they mean by 'on top of the world,'_ I said to myself excitedly, _'cause that's exactly how I feel right now, with String holding me...the way I've always wanted him to...and knowing that he loves me the same way I love him._

"You might have a point there, Hawke," Michael said, smiling. "You just might have a point there."

Just before the three of us left with Lauren to go back to the hangar, Marella smiled at me and said, "See? I told you so. Everything worked out just fine."

"Yeah," I said, still not quite believing that everything _had _worked out the way Marella said it would. I wiped a few tears out of my eyes and said, "And, thanks, Marella. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," Marella replied, and the smile on her face told me that she was happy that String seemed to be taking this change in his relationship with me positively. _But you're no happier than I __am, Marella,_ I said to myself.

I have to admit, the next morning when I got to the hangar, I didn't think my life could get any better—String and I knew that we loved each other, and I was gonna be able to stay here, working with him at Santini Air—and of course, I was gonna be his wife. _There's just one little thing missing, _I said to myself, staring at my left hand for some reason. _Okay, make that 'two' things,_ I corrected myself, tryin' to imagine what a wedding and engagement ring would look like, there on the third finger of my left hand. And then somethin' real funny crossed my mind—at least, it was funny to _me—I'm still here. Even after String told me he loved me, I'm still here! The earth didn't open up and swallow me in Michael's office, even though I was wishin' it would there for a while...nobody grabbed me from behind as I was leavin' the hangar last night...or when I came in this morning. __And...when he held me there in Michael's office, I didn't crumble into a million pieces or anything like that.__ Gonna have to remember to tell String that,_ I said to myself with a large air of satisfaction.

A few minutes later, I heard a helicopter coming towards the hangar, and I wasn't surprised to see Dom at the controls, and String in the co-pilot's seat. My heart leaped with happiness, even though I figured it'd be them—I'd missed String last night, and I was gonna let him know it.

"Mornin' Dom!" I called out when I saw them get out of the helicopter. I couldn't help wondering what was bothering String—he looked extremely nervous. I decided I'd try to help him relax as I wrapped my arms around him. "Hi, String," I said just before I gave him a deep and loving kiss.

"Hi, yourself," String replied after I'd separated us. I noticed Dom had a very strange look on his face, almost like he was trying, silently, to urge String to do somethin'. _What is going on?_ I asked myself. Then String said, "Cait...there's something I need to ask you."

_Oh, my God,_ I said to myself, wondering if the reason String was so nervous was because he was about to ask me..._the question._ Steadying my own nerves, which had suddenly erupted, I smiled at him and said, "Well, don't keep me in suspense, String. Ask away!" Forget that old saying about butterflies in my stomach...all of a sudden, I felt like I had _bats_ in there...and they were doin' barrel rolls that woulda made the Thunderbirds proud, I was so nervous...but it was an excited kind of nervous...if that makes any sense. _And I'm sure glad I'm not the only one,_ I said to myself, thinking how nervous String was.

String smiled at me, reached into the front pocket of his shirt and retrieved a small object. When he got down on one knee in front of me, I felt my eyes flood with tears when I recognized the object in his hand—an engagement ring. Ever since Michael gave Hawke that "assignment," and Hawke accepted it, I'd been expecting this to happen—but for some reason, at that moment, seein' String down on one knee holding that ring, made it seem..._real_. And, I gotta be honest—there was a part of me that was afraid that String would back out, even though he told Michael he'd accepted the "assignment," and that, I knew I just couldn't have dealt with.

Then came the words I thought I was never gonna hear—except in my dreams at night. "Caitlin O'Shannessy, will you marry me?" I knew my eyes were full of tears, and I felt like my heart was lodged in my throat again, just like that day in Michael's office, but for a very different reason...so it took me a while to answer String, probably longer than he wanted...even though I knew what my answer was going to be—the only answer I could ever give String.

Finally, I found my voice. "Yes, String! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" I smiled as String slipped the ring onto the third finger of my left hand, then I pulled him up to me for another, more passionate, kiss.

"String," I said after I separated us, "where did you get this...this gorgeous ring?"

"It was my mother's, Cait," String said, then he added that there had been a note from his mother read at the will reading after his parents died, which said that if his mother died before either son got married, whichever of her sons got married first, String or Saint John, they should give the ring to their intended. I felt tears in my eyes again when String said, "So, the ring now belongs to you."

"Oh, String," I replied, "It's...it's beautiful. And I can't believe it...it fits perfectly." I let the tears I'd been fightin' flow as I threw my arms around String and kissed him again. The fact that his mother's engagement ring had fit so well on my finger only proved what I'd thought for a long time—String and I were _meant_ to be together. _And now, we will be,_ I said to myself. And when I looked at the ring again, I thought to myself, _it looks like it belongs there. And there'll be another ring there, soon. _I still couldn't believe everything was falling into place the way it was—but I sure as heck wasn't gonna complain about it.

"String," Dom said, "did Michael say how soon you two should get married?"

"He did say ASAP," String said as we heard the phone ring in the office. Dom walked over and answered it, as String and I followed close behind, hand-in-hand.

"Santini Air!" Dom said. "Oh, hello, _Michael,_" he continued, and I noticed the emphasis Dom put on Michael's name. He covered the phone receiver with his free hand and said, "Speak of the Archangel." Uncovering the receiver, he continued, "Yeah...well, they're officially engaged now...String gave her a ring this morning, so I guess..." Suddenly I guessed String had decided he'd had enough, as he snatched the phone out of Dom's hand.

"Michael. Yes, Cait and I are officially engaged now," String said, smiling.

I couldn't hear what Michael was sayin', of course, but String's next words gave me a clue.

"No...but I think the sooner the better, but I also think we ought to give her family a little warning." I remembered the discussion/argument I had with Mom after my plane to Texas got hijacked, and some of the other discussions we've had since then. _If we got married and didn't tell Mom, _I said to myself, _I'd be a widow before the ink dried on the marriage certificate. _And I knew what Michael had asked String—_had we decided on a date yet. The sooner, the better, as far as I'm concerned, _I said to myself, knowing I wanted to get married as soon as possible.

I figured Michael was asking String a question when he didn't say anything for a few minutes. Finally he turned to me and said, "Cait? Michael says a week from Friday. Would that be too late—or too soon?" _Today's Tuesday, _I said to myself. _Geez...three more...no...__**ten **__more days 'till I get married to String. Well, if that's the soonest it can be done, I'll live with it...besides, this way I'll be able to get __Mom and Erin down here. _I smiled up at String and said, "As far as I'm concerned, not soon _enough. _But, it's okay...I'll need to call Mom when you're done talkin' to Michael anyway, and tell her." String smiled and nodded at me, then went back to talking to Michael.

"Michael," he said, "a week from Friday will be fine. All right, Michael. Thank you." String hung up the phone and glanced at me, and I almost forgot what I had to do. Then, just that quick, it dawned on me. _Mom. I've gotta call Mom._

"I've gotta call Mom," I said excitedly. Reluctantly, I disengaged myself from String and picked the phone up again. A few moments later, I heard Mom's voice. "Hello?"

"Mom? Mom, it's Cait." I said nervously.

"Cait? Caitlin? What are you doin' callin' me like this, for heaven's sake? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, Mom...I'm not hurt," I said, feeling some of my nerves melt away, especially when I felt String's arm around my waist. "In fact, right now, I'm the happiest gal in the whole wide world. I hope you're sittin' down, Mom...'cause you're not gonna believe this." I took a deep breath, then after a second or two, I plunged ahead. "Mom...Hawke and I...we're getting married." I suddenly jerked the phone away from my ear as a blood-curdling scream erupted on the other end.

"Mom? Mom, are you all right?" I asked, now more than a little concerned.

"Yeah, Caity, I'm fine...except I think my hearing's goin' in my old age...either that or I'm just goin' plumb loco...but I coulda sworn you said that you and that Hawke fella were getting married." _Somehow, I knew that would be your reaction, Mom,_ I said to myself.

"Your hearing's just fine, Mom," I replied, staring at my engagement ring, even as I thought to myself, _now, __**my **__hearing is another matter entirely, after that scream you just let out_. "And no, Mom...you're not goin' crazy. String finally came around to our way of thinking...and we're gonna get married a week from Friday. And...I'd sure love it if you and Erin could be here."

"Oh, Cait," Mom replied, and I knew from the sound of her voice how she felt, "you better believe we'll be there! A cattle stampede couldn't stop us from comin' to see you get married! Heck, Erin's probably gonna want to be your maid of honor...Cait, I'm so happy for you, I could just bust! Um...is that Hawke fella there? I've—I've got a few things I want to tell him."

"He's right here, Mom," I said, handing the phone to String. "Mom wants to talk to you," I said, smiling and slipping my arm around String's waist, to let him know I was there for him, the way he'd done for me a few minutes ago. _'Cause I get the feelin' String's nervous about talkin' to Mom...and I don't blame him,_ I said to myself, as I recalled some of the arguments Mom and I've had about him—and, I knew what Mom wanted to talk to String about, too. _I sure hope he doesn't hold a grudge, _I said to myself, then added, _and I sure hope Mom doesn't give him any more grief about him not bein' able to figure out his feelings for so long._

Of course, I didn't know what Mom was sayin' to him, but I heard String say "Thank you, Mrs. O'Shannessy," and take a breath like he was going to say more, but he was suddenly cut off. I could almost imagine what Mom was saying to him—probably tellin' him not to call her 'Mrs. O'Shannessy,' since he was marryin' me...she probably said String could call her 'Maggie,' or even 'Mom,' even though I seriously doubted that String would ever be comfortable with _that._

"Okay...Maggie," String replied, smiling down at me, and confirming my suspicions. "Listen...there's one thing. I know you're probably thinking about having a big church wedding and all that...but I'm not real comfortable with churches...I was thinking just Cait and me, Dominic, you and Erin, along with a couple of friends of mine, and a justice of the peace, up at the cabin...if that's okay with you."

I was actually relieved that String had explained his discomfort with churches to my mother—I knew String believed in God, of course, but I don't think he believes in God the same way I do, or my family does. I supposed if I'd gone through everything that he had, I might have a problem believin' in God, too—if I'd lost my parents, a boyfriend that I was as serious about as String was with Kelly, or even Gabrielle, and a brother or sister the way he had with Saint John, I might feel the same way.

"That's right," String replied, adding, "We'll do a rehearsal at my cabin on Thursday, and I'll be sending plane tickets for you, and Erin tomorrow." I figured Mom must have asked him about where the wedding would be, and I felt myself relaxing a little.

I didn't know what else Mom had said to String, but a few minutes later, he handed the phone back to me.

"So, we'll see you next Thursday, Mom?" I asked.

"Yep...Erin and I'll see you next Thursday, Caitlin," Maggie replied. Suddenly her tone turned decidedly dark. "Oh, no...Caity girl...I just had a terrible thought. This happened awful sudden like...and I'm just wonderin' about something. You're not...?"

"_MOTHER!"_ I shouted, embarrassed, 'cause I knew what the next word out of Mom's mouth would have been—_pregnant._ _And I'm not even gonna let that train get started..._**yet, ** _I said to myself. _Aloud, I said, "No, Mom," and I suddenly felt embarrassed about raising my voice the way I had, "I'm not pregnant...and I'm sorry for yelling just now."

"Oh, that's okay, Cait," Mom replied. "I'm just...relieved that you're not pregnant. But...I sure hope that's not gonna be a permanent condition, now that you're getting married? I mean...you are planning to"—_Oh, God!_ I said to myself, remembering how embarrassed I'd felt when Michael brought the same subject up in his office. Not that I don't _want_ to sleep with String...but that's not something I think I should be discussing with my _mother, _for heaven's sakes. Erin, maybe...but we told each other _everything _when we were kids.

"Mom, that's really none of your business," I replied, now even more embarrassed.

"All right, Cait," Mom replied, and the tone of her voice told me she was not entirely satisfied. Then just like that, her tone brightened again. "I'm so happy for you, Caity girl! And your daddy would be happy, too, if he'd been here to see this day."

"I know, Mom," I said, and I felt my voice shaking momentarily. "I know. Okay...we'll see you then, Mom. Love you, too. 'Bye!" I hung up the phone and turned back to String, knowing my feelings were shining in my eyes again.

"Something wrong, Cait?" String asked.

"Oh, Mom was just sayin' how she thought we were only getting married 'cause I was...pregnant," I said, embarrassed. "And also how much she wished Daddy could be here to see me get married and walk me down the aisle. By the way, what did she say to you that cut you off like that?"

"Well, you heard me say, 'Thank you, Mrs. O'Shannessy'...then she proceeded to tell me not to call her _'Mrs. O'Shannessy, for Pete's sake.'" I knew it,_ I said to myself, stifling a smile. String told me that Mom said he was part of our family now, so he should call her 'Maggie' from now on. I was surprised she didn't say to call her _'Mom,' _but I wasn't gonna worry about that, mainly because I know String would never be comfortable referring to my mother as _'Mom.' _Then I decided there was somethin' I wanted to ask Dom. "Hey, Dom!" I said, seeing him standing a few feet away from the office.

"Yeah, Cait?" Dom asked as he walked up.

"Dom," I said, taking hold of his hands, "There's something I'd like to ask you."

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, kid," Dom replied, smiling. "Ask away!" I stifled a grin as I recalled saying almost the same thing to String just a few minutes ago.

"All right," I said nervously. "Dom...I would...I would really be honored if you would walk me down the aisle at our wedding." Just from the fact that he didn't answer me right away, I could tell Dom was startled at the request, so I waited for him to answer.

"Me?" Dom said after a moment. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, Dom," I replied, smiling warmly at him. "I mean, you've been like a father to me ever since I came here...not to mention pushin' as hard as you did to try to get String and me together...and you've been a wonderful father to String, so...would you do this for String...and for me?" I asked, smiling at him.

"Cait," Dom said, and I noticed his eyes watering. I remembered learning last year, when he was arrested for his ex-wife's murder, that Dom had a daughter named Sally Ann, who had died as a result of a drug overdose, and I figured he was thinkin' how he'd never be able to walk her down the aisle. Finally he said, "Cait, the honor would be all mine." He pulled me into a warm, friendly embrace as String moved up to him and said, "Thanks, Dom."

"Yeah," I replied. "Thanks, Dom."

Later that afternoon, String asked me what Marella was talking about when she said, "See? I told you so," just before we left Michael's office. I told him how she had said that she thought everything would work out just fine, which, thankfully, it had, but that I'd been extremely nervous, even before String and Dom got there...and it had just gotten worse when I saw the look on String's face.

String apologized for making me more nervous than I already was, and I accepted his apology, even as I remembered another of the many reasons I loved him so danged much. And I knew, as if I had any doubts before, that—assignment or not—I'd be spending the rest of my life with Stringfellow Hawke. _And, I'll love every danged minute of it,_ I said to myself.

"By the way, String," I said, remembering what I'd thought about when I got to the hangar, "did you notice what happened when you told me you loved me yesterday?"

"What do you mean, Cait? Nothing—"String cut himself off, and I knew he was thinkin' the same thing I had been.

"_Exactly, _String," I said, smiling at him. "_Nothing happened. _The Earth didn't swallow me back at Michael's office...there wasn't somebody hidin' in the back seat of my car to kidnap me when I left here last night, nobody grabbed me from behind when I left the house to come in today..._I'm still here._ And, I didn't break into a million pieces when you held me back in Michael's office—or, any time since then. Do you get what I'm tryin' to tell you?" I asked, and was relieved when I saw String smile at me.

"Yeah, Cait," String said. "I—I think I really do get it."

"I'm glad, String," I said, before I kissed him again.

A few days later, we were all surprised to see the FIRM limousine pull up to the hangar again.

"What now?" String demanded as Lauren stepped out.

"Michael would like all of you to come to Knightsbridge immediately," Lauren replied as she opened the rear door to the limo. Without a word, we climbed in and the limo started off toward Knightsbridge.

"I don't suppose it would do any good to"—Hawke started, but Lauren cut him off.

"Michael will explain when we get there," Lauren said, effectively ending the conversation.

By the time we had reached Michael's office, I could see String was fuming mad, again. I reached for his hand and took it in mine, and when String looked at me, I smiled up at him and said, "Relax, String." Almost immediately, I felt the tension in his fingers relax, and he even smiled at me as Michael walked into the office.

"Relax, everyone," Michael said, smiling at us. "This isn't a mission. This is—well...consider this...a wedding present, Hawke." He stopped as the doors opened and Marella led another man into the office—a man I thought I recognized, but I couldn't tell where from.

String looked at the new arrival for a moment, not believing what he was seeing. "S—Saint John? Is it...really you?" String asked as he fought back tears. _Now I know where I've seen his face before,_ I said to myself. _There are pictures of String with Saint John all over the cabin...but I know why I don't __recognize him...he was probably younger then._

"DNA tests confirm it, Hawke," Marella replied, almost as if she knew what String was thinking. "This is Saint John Hawke—no doubts about it this time." I remembered Dom tellin' me about how, two years ago, a group called the _Schwartzkrieg _had disguised a man as String's older brother, and convinced him that Dom and Michael had died in the mission to rescue Saint John, all as a part of trying to steal Airwolf from Hawke and take it back to Libya. _Glad to know they've got proof,_ I said to myself.

"Yeah, little brother," the man standing in front of us replied. "It's me. I'm home, String." Without thinking, String let go of my hand and ran over to the man I now knew was his older brother, engulfing him in a friendly embrace which Dom joined a few seconds later. I would have thought it incredibly rude, until I considered the circumstances—_String hasn't seen his brother in sixteen years. Better to give them a minute or two,_ I said to myself. Finally, String said, "Cait, come over here. Saint John, meet Caitlin O'Shannessy...my fiancée."

"It's—hold on a second. _What?_ _What_ did you just say?" Saint John demanded, confused. "_Fianc__é__e__? _You're getting _married, _little brother? Man, I have been gone a long time!" We all laughed as Saint John continued, "Well, Caitlin...first off, let me say, it's a pleasure to meet you, and welcome to our family." I had to admit, when String introduced me to Saint John as his _fianc__é__e, _I felt like the happiest gal in the world, _again._

"Thanks," I said, beaming. Then I added, "It's nice to meet you too, Saint John," I said, smiling at String's brother. "I've heard a lot about you from String."

"Most of it good, I hope?" Saint John asked me.

"All of it good, Saint John...trust me," I said, directing a smile at him.

"Thanks, Caitlin," Saint John replied, then turned back to String. "Now, little brother...there has _got _to be a story behind this."

"Yeah, Sinj, there's a story behind it all right," String acknowledged. Marella brought in coffee for all of us, and String told Saint John the story of how he and I had met, and were just a few days away from being married. _Of course I know he has to leave out the part where Michael "assigned" us to do it...but that's okay. He has to leave out a lot of the story...especially the parts about Airwolf. But, that's just...details, _I said to myself. Then, I noticed String getting real nervous—and I had a good idea about what. _He's wonderin' how he's gonna explain Michael to Saint John,_ I said to myself.

"Well," Saint John said when the story was finished, "I'm sure surprised at this news...I mean, after Kelly, I didn't think you'd ever get this serious about anybody again, little brother...but I'm looking forward to your wedding day next week. You're getting married at the cabin, then?"

"Yeah, Sinj," Hawke replied, "and I would really like it if..."

"You even have to ask, little brother? It would be an honor," Saint John replied.

"I just have one question, Sinj," String said. "Where have you been all these years?"

Saint John went on to explain how, after being freed from the NVA prison camp, he'd planned to come back to the States and reunite with String and Dom...but during the debriefings, agents from another division of the CIA had stopped him and the other members of 1st Air Cav that were rescued with him, and suggested they form a kind of clandestine ops unit—capable of recon, strike, and all kinds of other dangerous stuff. From what Saint John said, the unit he was involved with sounded a lot like what Dom, String and I do with Airwolf...but I wasn't about to tell _him_ that. Then Saint John explained how a few days ago, some of Michael's people tracked him down and informed him and his unit that their services were no longer required, so he decided to come home. "And," he said, smiling at me, "it appears I've arrived just in time." _Phew,_ I said to myself after Saint John explained how it was some of Michael's people who had found him, _at least String doesn't have to explain Michael to Saint John...yet. _I glanced over at String and noticed him relaxing—a little—but then when String spoke again, I could hear the frustration in his voice.

"Saint John," String began, and I saw Saint John start to tense up, "I hope you realize that I should be absolutely _furious_ about all this...but, I—I just can't be. Heck, if the roles were reversed, I might've done the same thing. So...I forgive you, Sinj...I'm just glad you're home!" String smiled at his older brother, and Saint John, relieved, returned the gesture. Once again, I sighed with relief that String had calmed down so quickly—and...not to sound conceited or anything—but I like to think I'm a big part of the reason why. Plus the fact—like I said before, that unit Saint John described did a _lot _of the same things that we do with Airwolf—and, I really couldn't understand why String would be mad at Saint John for doing the same thing that _we _do on a regular basis. And, it wouldn't surprise me if String, Dom and I teach Saint John how to fly Airwolf someday, so there'll be another backup...just like String and Dom did with me.

"Michael, who the _hell _is this, and _what the hell _did he do with my kid brother?" Saint John demanded, but we all saw the spark of humor in his eyes. "Oh, I'm just kidding you, String...but," he continued, glancing at me, "I think I know what's happened here. Caitlin, whatever magic you've worked on String, please, don't ever stop."

"Don't you worry about that, Saint John," I replied, smiling at String's older brother. "After everything I've been through to get this guy, I'm not letting him go for a_ long time!" _Suddenly, I wondered if I'd said too much, and got the same feeling when I looked over at String.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Saint John said, smiling at both String and me. Then he asked, "What did you mean, 'after everything I've gone through to get this guy', anyway, Cait?" Just like that, I could tell String had gotten nervous again...and I knew _why._ _String doesn't want Saint John to know about Airwolf...and I understand that. I've gotta cover this...fast,_ I said to myself.

"Oh, just all that talk about him havin' some kinda cockamamie curse on him," I added, realizing the slip I'd almost made. _Geez...cut it a _**little **_closer, why don'cha, Caity girl?_ I said to myself. Just then, Marella came back over to us.

"Saint John," Marella said, "I—I have some things I need you to look over. Could you come with me, please?" As Saint John stood up, I got the feelin' I knew why Marella was getting him out of the office—so Michael could arrange for String to turn Airwolf back over to the FIRM, just like String had told me about the deal they had.

"Sure, Marella," Saint John said, winking at us as he stood up. As soon as the door to the office closed, Michael turned back to us, and proceeded to tell us that he and Zeus had had a long discussion/argument after Saint John came home, about the deal Michael had made with String...and then, he proceeded to tell us that, for his and the FIRM's purposes, Airwolf was ours—Dom's, String's, and mine, that is. I knew he was waiting for one of us to say something, but I also knew I couldn't say anything at the moment, with my mouth hanging wide open. I looked over at Dom and String, and saw their mouths hanging open too.

"You're—you're serious, Michael?" Dom demanded, having been the first one of us to feel like he could speak. "The Lady...is ours, just like that?" I swear I heard String sigh with relief, and I have to admit, I was relieved, too—Dom thinks of the Lady almost like she was a human being—always callin' her "baby," and "sweetheart," among other things—and I don't want to imagine what having to give her up woulda done to him. _Good thing I don't have to imagine it,_ I said to myself.

Michael told all of us that yes, he was serious...as far as the FIRM was concerned, Airwolf was ours. He did go on to say that it wasn't impossible that another agency, like the Department of Defense, might not try to recover Airwolf, but that he could now run official interference for us, which made all of us feel a_ lot _better.

"Now," Michael said, abruptly changing the subject, "I know you've probably been wondering what Marella and I will say to Caitlin's mother on Friday." I had to admit, I was worried about that, too. "Well, for that day, we will just appear to be old friends of your father's, Hawke...nothing more, nothing less," Michael replied.

"Thank you, Michael," String said. I could tell String was relieved that Michael had thought about what he would say if Mom, or Erin, became curious about him—and, to tell the truth, so was I. "We appreciate that." Michael glanced at me, and I smiled at him in return. _Well...that's another worry I can check off my list...only about ten thousand more to go,_ I said to myself.

When we got back to the hangar, String said he was sorry for just ignoring me when he found out that Saint John was home. I admit, I was a little hurt about it, until I thought about the situation—String hadn't seen Saint John for _sixteen years_, until earlier today, so I understood, and I told him that. "Saint John seems like a nice guy," I added. "I'm lookin' forward to getting to know him." And I was. I'd heard a lot about Saint John from String, and it was nice to finally have a face to put with the name.

"Well, he certainly seemed to like you well enough," String told me, and that made me happy. After all, Saint John's the only family String's got, other than Dom, so knowing that he liked me made me feel better.

One night when String and I went out to dinner, I felt like I had to ask String a question. "String," I said, "does Saint John always call you 'little brother'?"

"Yeah," String answered me. "He is the older of the two of us, after all...and 'little brother' kinda became his unofficial nickname for me. Does it bother you?" I smiled at him thinking hearing something like that would bother me.

"No, String," I assured him. "I was just wonderin'...that's all." Even though we were in a restaurant, I couldn't help myself, as I leaned across the table and kissed him. Judging by the reaction of the crowd, I gathered we'd put on a good show.

"Sorry about that," I said, my cheeks turning a slight pink.

"That's okay, Cait," String replied, with that easy grin that I'd become much more accustomed to seeing from him, which reminded me once again why I loved him so much. _And as far as I'm concerned, that smile just makes him that much better looking—if that's humanly possible,_ I said to myself.

Over the course of the next week, Saint John started coming to Santini Air to help out, and String started takin' me out somewhere every night after work. I could tell Saint John was almost as happy as Dom was that String and I were together, and getting married. _But neither one of you is as happy as I am, _I said to myself one night when String brought me back to the hangar after a date, and gave me a kiss that made the one last year on the movie set feel like a friendly peck on the cheek by comparison. I wished I was goin' back to String's cabin to—to be with him, but I finally realized—_the wedding's only a couple of days away...and from that night on, you'll be spending every night with String. _As I climbed into my bed at home, alone, that thought eased my mind...a little.

On the night before the wedding, String took me up to the cabin, where Mom, Erin, Saint John, and Dom were waiting for us, along with Judge Clevenger. The rehearsal did not take long, and soon we all sat around the dinner table enjoying Dom's spaghetti and garlic bread. I'd been wonderin' what Mom might have to say to String, and I have to admit that not knowin' what Mom was thinking—and then not knowing how String would react to whatever she had to tell him—had me more than a little worried.

"String," Mom began hesitantly, "There's something I need to say to you. I—I owe you an apology for all the mean things I ever said...or wrote to Cait about you. I can see now that you're a danged good man, Stringfellow Hawke, and I'm proud—and very happy—that you're gonna be part of this family."

"Thank you, Maggie," String said with a smile. "And I accept your apology, even though I don't think I really deserve it. Let's face it—I was being incredibly stupid about Caitlin for a long time...and you were just telling her, and by extension, _me, _how you felt." Mom smiled at him as we finished dinner, and I thought to myself, _just another reason why I love String so danged much...and why I'll always love him. _

"That's mighty nice of you, String," Mom replied. From the look on Mom's face just then, I could tell she had reevaluated her whole opinion of Stringfellow Hawke...and had decided she liked him. _Thank goodness, _I said to myself. _String and Mom getting along is just another worry off my mind...only about 9,700 left,_ I said to myself at home later that night as I got ready for bed, and realized that this would be the last night I'd spend alone. I think Mom and Erin were surprised that I decided not to stay at the cabin, but I told them I respected the tradition about the bride and groom not seein' each other before the wedding, and I know Mom was relieved to hear that._Besides,_ I said to myself, _String and I'll have the rest of our lives for that, after tomorrow. And—I've gotta admit, I'm a little—nervous about...__that, even with String__,_ I said to myself as I fell asleep.

The next morning, I was surprised when the doorbell rang a few minutes after I'd gotten dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. I opened the door and found Mom and Erin standing there. "'Mornin', Caity!" Mom shouted, almost too enthusiastically. "You ready for this?" Somethin' must have tipped her off that I was nervous...and her next question confirmed it.

"You okay, Cait? You look like you're bein' led to the execution chamber back in Huntsville, Texas...not a couple of hours away from marryin' the man of your dreams!"

"Mom, I'm...I'm fine...I'm just a little nervous about...um...you remember what you said the other day on the phone?"

"You mean about...?" The way Mom suddenly stopped made me realize that she knew _exactly _what I was talkin' about. "Now, Cait, I told you on the phone that it was okay you got so upset...so you're sayin' that tonight..."

"Yeah," I said, embarrassed that I was even having this conversation, but relieved that my mother and sister were the ones I was having it _with. _"I mean...I'm still a...virgin...and it's a little scary." I saw Erin smile knowingly, since she'd been through this same thing before.

"Cait," Erin said, patting my hand, "the most important thing is to remember how much String loves you...and how much you love him. Then, you just let nature take its course, and..." Erin arched her eyebrows wickedly, and the three of us laughed, which allowed the rest of the tensions I'd had about today to ease out of my body.

"Thanks, Erin," I said, winking at my big sister. "You don't know how happy I am that you and Mom are here today."

"Oh, I think I do," Erin replied, smiling at me. Then just like that, she turned serious. "Cait, I saw how much you and String love each other last night at dinner...but I might as well tell you...I'm gonna tell _him_ that if he ever does anything to hurt you, so help me God, I'll come back here and beat his brains in myself!"

"Just as long as you remember, Erin...you taught me everything I know about fightin'...and then the police academy filled in the gaps...so if String ever _did _do anything that stupid, which I doubt he would, there might not be much left for you, after _I_ got finished beating the snot out of him!" We all laughed again, even though we knew what we were saying was the truth. _But, I'm not in the least bit __worried about that,_ I thought to myself. _I trust String with my life—and I know he'd never do anything to hurt me. __I get the feelin' he'd just as soon hurt himself than hurt me—and I feel the same way about him. __Besides, he knows I can beat the snot outta him if he ever did __anything to hurt me—__'__cause I already did, once—_I said to myself with a small air of satisfaction.

"And," I said, grinning wickedly at Erin, "If I'd been at your wedding, I would've told your fiancé the same danged thing!" _And I wish I could have,_ I said to myself.

Almost as if she read my mind, Erin said, "I know, Cait...I know." She smiled at me, in an effort to let me know once again that she didn't hold it against me that I hadn't been there the day she got married.

"Thanks, Erin," I said, then stood up. "Come on, ladies...let's get this show on the road!" I said, and we left the house, me for the last time. Mom had brought the bag with my dress, heels, and everything else I was gonna need with her, so I didn't have to remember anything...which was a good thing, since my brain was still spinning in about fifty different directions.

We rode in the limo Michael had provided for us out to the hangar, where we met Ev, another of Dom's employees, who flew us up to the cabin. "I sure hope Saint John or Dom has them all out of there," I said to Mom as we approached the dock.

"I'll check," Erin said after we'd landed and gotten out of the helicopter, and I thought to myself, _She sounds like Marella._

A few minutes later, Erin walked back to Mom and me. "Coast is clear...let's go," she said, leading us into what was about to become my new home. Mom couldn't help herself—she had to stop and stare at the paintings lining the walls of the cabin again, like she'd done last night at dinner.

"_Mom?"_ I said, trying to goad her up the stairs.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'," she said as she followed us upstairs. "I just can't believe that all these paintings are originals...Your Hawke fella must know a lot of highfalutin people."

I stifled a grin as I thought to myself, _Mom, you have _**no **_idea. _"Mom," I said, "remember what String said last night? His grandfather collected them—for his grandmother."

"Oh, yeah," Mom said, embarrassed. "I must be getting old, Caity girl...you'd think I'd remember somethin' like that!"

"Don't worry about it, Mom," I said, smiling at my mother. I knew she was just excited, and happy for me—and sometimes when that happens, Mom gets a little forgetful. Then Mom asked me if I was nervous, and I hesitated for a second before I answered her.

"Well, I'm still a little anxious about...well, you know," I said, and Mom's expression told me she knew what I was talking about, "but, as far as getting married, no, I'm not nervous. I mean, you and Erin know how much I love String...and I know I want nothing more than to be married to him, so why should I be nervous today?"

"I was just curious, Caity," Mom said.

"I know, Mom," I replied, smiling at both her and Erin. "And, thanks," I said, giving Mom and Erin both a hug.

"You're welcome, Caity girl," Mom said, and I saw a tear in her eye when we separated.

Later, we were all dressed, downstairs, and ready for the wedding to start. Just as I slipped into my heels, I saw Dom and Saint John as they walked in.

"Mom, Erin, you remember Dominic Santini...and String's older brother, Saint John," I said, and Mom and Erin both smiled at Dom and Saint John.

"Mrs..." Saint John started, but Mom cut him off. _Oh, great, here we go again,_ I said to myself, remembering what String said he'd heard from Mom, on the phone a few days ago.

"Look here, Mister Saint John Hawke," Mom began, "I'll tell you the same thing I told your brother—don't you be callin' me 'Mrs. O'Shannessy,' for Pete's sake! You're String's brother, after all, so 'Maggie' will do just fine, thank you very much."

"Okay...Maggie," Saint John replied, and I thought I heard him catch himself just before he said 'Mrs. O'Shannessy' again. _Nice catch, Sinj,_ I said to myself.

"By the way, Mr. Santini," Mom began, "thank you for walkin' Cait down the aisle today." Dom glanced at me and rolled his eyes, and I simply smiled at him.

"Maggie," Dom said, smiling at her, "_I told you_ last night that since we're gonna be family, then for Heaven's sakes, you and Erin both call me 'Dom,' okay?"

"Okay, Dom," Erin replied, and Mom nodded affirmatively. I simply shook my head as I turned towards the dock, where my future stood, waiting.

Just then, I heard a quartet of violins begin playing. _Nice touch, Michael,_ I said to myself as Erin and Saint John began walking towards the dock. Dom turned to me and said, "You ready, kid?"

"You bet I am, Dom," I said, giving his arm a friendly squeeze. "Let's do this." He smiled at me, and we began walking towards my future.

By the time Dom had given my hand to String, I knew my makeup was ruined, 'cause I could feel the tears running down my face...and then I glanced up at String, and noticed the tears in _his _eyes, too. I gave his hand a loving squeeze as we turned to face Judge Clevenger.

"Dearly beloved...we are gathered here today to join these two young people in the bonds of marriage," Judge Clevenger said. "From what I've been told, Stringfellow Hawke and Caitlin O'Shannessy have had a long and...interesting journey to get to this time and place, together." I smiled at String and wondered if he was thinking the same thing I was—_You have _**no**_ idea._

"I've been informed that String and Caitlin each have something they'd like to say," the judge continued.

"Cait," String began, "I know I've done a lot of things wrong...and if I could take them back, I would. But I promise you—from this day forward, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I love you, Cait...forever and always...and I promise that I will always be here for you...no matter what." As I glanced up at String, I hoped he saw the tears of joy and love shining in my eyes—and I could see the love he had for me in his eyes.

"String," I replied, "you know how I feel about you—I told you before that I have loved you since the first day I saw you back at the hangar. And I am so proud, and so happy to be here with you today, and that we're going to be together forever. What happened before doesn't matter. All that matters now is—I love you, String...always, and forever...and I promise you that I will always be by your side...to love and support you...no matter what." I smiled up at String, trying to convey all the love I felt for him—and judging by the smile he returned, I did a good job of it.

"Stringfellow Hawke," Judge Clevenger said after a moment's silence, "do you take Caitlin O'Shannessy to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise to love her and comfort her, all the days of your life?"

String smiled and replied, "I do."

"Caitlin O'Shannessy, do you take Stringfellow Hawke to be your lawful wedded husband? Do you promise to love him and comfort him, all the days of your life?"

I looked deep into String's eyes, the eyes I was so deeply in love with, and with tears of love and joy shining in mine, I replied, "Yes. I do."

"The rings, please," Judge Clevenger said, as Saint John handed them over.

"Stringfellow, take Cait's ring, place it on the third finger of her left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring,"_ String replied.

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed."_ I smiled through my tears as String slipped the gold band onto my finger.

"Caitlin, take Stringfellow's ring, place it on the third finger of his left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring..."_

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed." _I replied as I slid the ring into place on String's finger.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the great state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Judge Clevenger finished, as String pulled me into his arms and kissed me. As I heard the small gathering break into applause, Judge Clevenger said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke!" We kissed again as the applause rang out across the lake. _I can't believe it, _I said to myself. _I'm finally Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke. _

"We made it, String," I said happily after we separated.

"Yes, we did, Cait," String replied, smiling at me. "Now...we're together forever."

"I love you, Stringfellow Hawke," I said proudly.

"I love you too, Caitlin Hawke," String replied, smiling at me. _Caitlin Hawke,_ I said to myself. _Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke. I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that...either way. It doesn't matter one bit...'cause it means that String is all mine...just like I'm his. Now, and forever. _And I knew that I couldn't just think of String as my best friend anymore, because he's so much more—now and forevermore, Stringfellow Hawke is my _husband__—_and I couldn't be happier...or prouder...to be married to him.

String and I stood and accepted congratulations from Mom, Erin, Dom, Saint John, Michael, and Marella for a few minutes, then we went into the cabin, where Dom had made dinner for all of us. The conversation was spirited and happy, as we all talked about the wedding, and String's and my plans for the future. Finally, several hours later, Dom, Le, Saint John, Mom and Erin stood up and got ready to leave, and Michael and Marella did as well.

"String," Saint John said as everyone prepared to leave, "congratulations. I have to say...I think Cait's good for you, little brother. I don't remember the last time I saw you so happy." I smiled at my new brother-in-law, happy that I'd been able to finally draw String out of the shell he'd been living in for so long.

"Thanks, Sinj," String replied, smiling at me, then at his brother. "I don't think I've been this happy for a long time. I'm especially happy that you were able to be here today," he finished, drawing Saint John into a friendly embrace.

"Me too, String," Saint John replied. "Me, too." Finally, everyone else had left, and we were alone at last, standing on the porch of the cabin wrapped in each other's arms as we looked out over the lake. Suddenly, I turned in String's arms and kissed him with everything I had, pouring all the love I felt for him into it, and String responded in kind. By the time I separated us, I could tell just by lookin' in String's eyes what he was thinking, and I hoped he could tell what I wanted by the look in my eyes.

Without a word, String scooped me up in his arms and headed upstairs to the sleeping loft. As he set me back on my feet, our feelings for each other erupted again in a passionate kiss. When we separated, I shyly grinned and said, "Just...be gentle, okay? It's..."

"I know, Cait," String replied, smiling. "I know." I suddenly felt the anxieties I'd been holding about tonight vanish, just like Erin said they would, and I gave myself completely to my husband.

Later, as we lay in bed side by side, wrapped securely in each other's arms, I thought about the events that had brought String and me to this point...like String said that day in Michael's office, it was sure a strange way for two people to get together...but for some reason, it fit with us. I knew as I relaxed in my husband's arms that I was exactly where I wanted to be, where I was _supposed _to be, and with the person I was supposed to be with. _My soulmate,_ I said to myself, knowing that String felt the same way about me. All the same, I couldn't help wondering how long it would be before Michael finally pulled his head out of his behind about Marella. _But there's time to worry about that later,_ I chided myself as I fell asleep wrapped in the arms of the man I loved—my husband, Stringfellow Hawke. And I couldn't help thinkin' about some of the dumb choices I've made with regards to men in my life—including Robert Villers—but the _best_ choice I ever made was comin' back here to California to find String...even though it did take an 'assignment' from Michael to get String to face his feelings about me...and now, we're together, forever. _Just the way it should be_, I said to myself happily.

Eight months later, String, Dom and I found ourselves back at Knightsbridge, this time in Zeus' office. During one of our post-mission talks, Dom asked Michael why he'd never gotten married, and Michael had blurted out the same words to String that he'd said to Dom eight months ago—_If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!_ Little did Michael—or any of us, for that matter—know that Zeus, the head of the FIRM and Michael's superior, had been listening, through a speaker system that was installed around the building, and that Zeus had decided to do to Michael exactly what Michael had done to Hawke...and I wasn't surprised when Zeus said that he expected Michael and Marella to marry, ASAP. Even before that conversation back home at the cabin, I thought Marella felt the same way about Michael that I do about String. After all, Dom told me what Marella said she'd done to lose the tail she picked up on her way to the hospital that day, after Michael had been reported captured in East Germany. _"I lost them in a porno house," _Dom told me Marella had said...and that didn't sound like somethin' a person would do for just _anybody..._unless they were in love with that person, like I am with String. Heck, if I were in a similar situation, havin' to tell Dom about String bein' captured by the Russians, or somebody else, and thought I was bein' tailed, I'd duck through a porno house if I had to, just to lose 'em...so when I heard that, and after String told me how Marella had been almost in tears when she told String and Dom that she'd go with them to rescue Michael, I knew Marella loved Michael the same way I love String. _And Michael was bein' just as dumb about Marella __as String was about me,_ I said to myself.

And a few weeks later, Michael proposed to Marella, and now, we've come full circle—String and I are standing as best man and matron of honor for Michael and Marella, since we're among the very few people that they count as friends. _Goes with the job, I guess, _I thought to myself. Dom volunteered to give Marella away, the same way he did with me.

As we stood in the doorway of the cabin, waiting for the signal from Judge Clevenger, I felt the tears in my eyes again, this time for Michael and Marella...but at the same time, I was remembering how I felt eight months ago, when Dom and I stood here, waiting for Dom to walk me 'down the aisle,' to String. String must've noticed somethin' in my expression, because he turned to me and said, "You remember, don't you?"

Smiling, I said, "I remember _everything._" And I did. I remembered our wedding day as clear as if it had happened the day before.

"So do I," String replied, smiling as he gave my arm a loving squeeze before the violin quartet began playing, and String and I walked down to the dock to wait for Marella and Dom.

Once Michael and Marella were married, Zeus embarrassed all of us when he told them not to make him have to chaperone any rooms back at Knightsbridge—but I had a feelin' that they wouldn't do anything untoward while they were at work—_unless the door to Michael's office is closed,_ I said to myself, knowing that Michael's office was fully soundproofed. _But that doesn't block out the microphones,_ I said to myself, remembering what happened the day Michael blurted out the same words that String had that night at home—_If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have ASSIGNED me one!_ _And that would be __**terribly**__ embarrassing __for both Michael and Marella__,_ I said to myself with a silent chuckle.

That night after everyone had gone home and String and I were alone once again, I said to him, "In case I forgot to tell you today...I love you, String. Always, and forever."

"And I love you, too, Cait. Always, and forever." Up until I met String last year, I never knew that two people could love each other the way we do—but now, I know that Marella and Michael love each other the same way that I love String—and he loves me. As I moved into String's arms again, upstairs in the sleeping loft, I silently thanked God that String and I were finally together, forever, and I hoped Michael and Marella were as happy tonight as String and I were. Just before I went to sleep, I happened to glance at my left hand, and my eyes were immediately drawn back to my engagement and wedding rings. _Perfect,_ I said to myself, remembering when I thought that some things were missing. _Just like I hoped it would be. __Who woulda thought that a few carelessly uttered words would make four people so happy? _I asked myself. I felt a few tears coming into my eyes, but I knew they were happy tears, so I wasn't worried. I quietly sighed as I felt myself falling asleep, safely wrapped in String's arms, as I pondered our future.


	5. Chapter 5

_If The FIRM Wanted Me To Have a Wife... Chap. 5_

A/N—Thanks as always go to **Riabhach, Sirius7, Ms. Anonymous, jareya, bamboozlepig, and OldSFfan** for their reviews/feedback.

Sometimes, all it takes is a few words, carelessly thrown around, to change a person's life. I've seen it—once because I heard someone else say the words, and the other time, because I was stupid enough to say them—yes, the very same words—myself—at least, that's what I thought at the time.

I remember the night the first happened—it was after Hawke and Dom rescued Robert and Bobby Phelps from those kidnappers who wanted to sell Robert's advanced aircraft designs, and make a fortune...but Hawke was able to shoot their helicopter down, while Dom and Bobby rescued Robert, who had a heart attack around the time he was kidnapped.

Anyway, after we all had dinner at Hawke's cabin—myself, Marella, our pilot Lauren, Dom, and Caitlin O'Shannessy, we all stood around the cabin talking—Caitlin went to talk to Marella, and Dom, Hawke and I stood talking amongst ourselves. I found myself wishing, for only about the millionth time since I've known him, that I had that same super-hearing that Hawke seems to have—what I would have given to know what Marella and Caitlin were discussing. Just then, I heard Caitlin suggest going outside to Marella, and I got _really _curious. I glanced around and found Lauren, the pilot who'd brought Marella and me here, looking at some of Hawke's paintings—not surprising, since she was an art student, but I knew she'd be occupied for a while.

I remember last year, after I was kidnapped by Kinskov and Krueger in East Germany, how Caitlin wound up forced on to the Airwolf crew after Hawke and Dom were injured doing a flying stunt—apparently, the balsa wood they were _supposed _to fly into was placed on the wrong side of the barn...so whatever they hit, it wasn't balsa wood.

Hawke wound up with the least of the injuries, a broken arm. Dom was in a full body cast—I remembered Marella telling me how she'd visited Hawke and Dom in the hospital, and she determined that Dom would need at _least _a month before he would have been capable of a mission like the one they performed to rescue me. But I have to admit, when I was pulled into the helicopter and I saw a decidedly female pair of eyes underneath an Airwolf flight helmet, I was startled, and surprised. I knew of Caitlin O'Shannessy, of course—we had run a complete background check on her after we heard that Dom had hired her—but seeing her there, at Dom's normal place at the engineering station, in East Germany, was the _last _thing I ever expected—at least, until I realized Dom was in a body cast—then I knew why Caitlin had come along on the mission. But I remember how afterward, when we were all sitting at a cafe in West Germany having lunch, I noticed something—every time either Dom or I mentioned Hawke's name, Caitlin's eyes absolutely _lit up._ I began wondering if maybe she felt something more than just friendship for Hawke—and events a year later, after John Bradford Horn kidnapped Hawke, confirmed it.

"_We gotta get the Lady!" Caitlin declared._

"_Not 'we,' 'ME!' The instructions say, 'ME!'" Dom insisted. Hawke had sent them a video tape describing how Dom was to turn Airwolf over to Horn, in exchange for him. Suddenly, Caitlin made a statement that confirmed what I suspected at that West German cafe._

"_Dom, don't do that to me. I care about him too, you know. Probably __**MORE **__than you know!"_

If I hadn't believed Caitlin was looking at Hawke as more than just a friend before then, I believed it after I heard Caitlin's declaration. I noticed the conversation between Hawke and Dominic had turned to what would happen after Dominic died—I guess seeing Robert laying there unconscious, with his heart monitors at a flat line, had really unnerved Dominic, and Dom was trying to get String to understand that he was worried about his young friend, and who would take care of String, after Dom died, whenever that might be. Suddenly, String blurted out, "Besides, you know the old saying—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have _assigned me one!"_

I stopped dead in my tracks, and hoped like hell Hawke hadn't caught my expression. I did notice Dominic glance quickly in my direction, but Hawke seemed not to notice either Dominic's or my reactions to his statement. _Actually, _I said to myself, _the old saying goes, 'If the __**Navy**__ wanted me to have a wife...they would have assigned me one'...but you know something, Stringfellow Hawke? That's a terrific idea!_ Subtly, I glanced outside, where I found Caitlin and Marella standing a short distance away from the cabin. _And, I think—__no—I __know the perfect candidate. Hell, she already cares about him—that much, at least, I know for certain. _Silently, I walked outside to where Caitlin and Marella stood talking, careful not to let them know I was eavesdropping.

"Yeah. I mean—heck, Marella, you know what I mean," Caitlin said. "I've felt like that about String for a long time...when he kissed me on that movie set last year, even before the mission to rescue Michael, I really thought String felt somethin' more than just friendship for me. And when I thought...when I thought he'd died in my arms after I gave him that antidote at Horn's compound, I realized just how much I love him." I continued listening, and I thought I saw Caitlin shaking her head. "But who am I kidding, anyway? It doesn't matter how much I love String...he doesn't feel the same way about me, so I'm just kidding myself if I keep wishin' for something else."

_You know the old saying, Caitlin,_ I said to myself as I walked back into the cabin. _Be careful what you wish for._ I tried to tune the conversation between Hawke and Dominic back in as I walked over to them.

"String," Dom was saying, "why do you keep kicking yourself over Gabrielle, anyway? How many times have I told you, Moffet was _out of his mind?_ Even if he did know you two were seeing each other, that's not why he killed her, for God's sake!"

"Dom's right, Hawke," I piped up. "Moffet would have killed anyone he perceived to be a threat...no matter who they were involved with. Remember, he almost killed me, Marella, Lauren, and everyone at Red Star the day he stole Airwolf." _Not to mention the fact that he killed Angela, the crew on that Navy destroyer, those Mirage pilots...__not to mention Gabrielle...__plus, there were a lot of people who __**were **__killed at Red Star—__Marella and I are just damned lucky we got out of there alive__, _I said to myself as I glanced over at Hawke, and was not surprised to see Hawke's face darkening. I felt like I could read his emotions...he was either trying to tell me _Butt out, Michael, _or asking, _Whose side are you on anyway? _Reflexively, I felt the spot on my jaw where Hawke had hit me two years ago tightening up, the way it does every now and again when I get nervous...especially around Hawke. But something else caught my attention—the fact that Dom seemed to be agreeing with me...or at least, saying a lot of the same things I had, especially where Gabrielle was concerned. _Since when do Dominic Santini and I agree on anything?_ I asked myself. Then, I asked myself, _Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Dominic?_

"I know, Michael," Hawke said out loud, and I relaxed...just a bit. "But, it's really none of your business, you know." Hawke continued, glowering at me.

"I know, Hawke," I said, turning as Caitlin and Marella came back into the cabin. "Just...think about what I said, will you?"

"Sure, Michael," Hawke said with a shake of his head. "I'll...I'll think about it."

I had to wonder what Hawke was thinking as I walked away from him, over to Caitlin, and suggested that we go outside for a moment. She nodded politely and we walked outside, a short distance away from the cabin. When I turned towards Caitlin, I could tell she was wondering what was on my mind, and I decided not to beat around the bush about it, to coin an expression I've heard her use before.

"Caitlin," I began, "Hawke just made a...very interesting comment."

"Really?" Caitlin asked. "What'd he say this time?"

I smiled. "Well, he and Dom were talking about the future...and how Dom wished there were someone around to take care of Hawke when..." I didn't want to finish my sentence out loud, so I finished it the only way I knew how—in my mind. _When he dies._ Dominic knows he's not going to live forever, and what happened with Robert Phelps just made it that much clearer in Dominic's mind.

"Anyway," I continued, "Hawke said, and I quote, 'Besides, you know the old saying—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!' Now, this may well be one of the craziest ideas I've ever had...but..."

To say Caitlin was angry would have been a gross understatement—she looked like she was ready to _explode—_and I just hoped it wouldn't be all over me. I'd heard about how she told a fellow passenger on Flight 093 that she knew karate...and gave free samples, and I hoped fervently that I wasn't about to become a recipient of one of those samples.

"Now wait a minute! You wait _just a minute, _Michael! You mean to tell me that you're gonna assign someone to marry String?" Caitlin demanded, and I hoped Hawke hadn't heard Caitlin's outburst. _That would be most embarrassing, _I said to myself, _not to mention completely blowing the secret. __And, I couldn't help but notice how...____jealous__ Cait sounded. ____She must not understand that ____**she's **____the woman I've got in mind,__ I said to myself._

"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes," I said, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "What I'm suggesting, Caitlin...I overheard you talking to Marella a few minutes ago...and I caught your expression back at the clinic when Bobby gave String his drawing...it's obvious to me how you feel about Hawke...and of course, there's what you said in my limo before you and Dom went to rescue Hawke from John Bradford Horn. And, I've seen evidence of your feelings for Hawke in other instances, as well. And I have to say, you might be just the person to prove to him that this 'curse' of his doesn't really exist...and I was wondering if..."

Caitlin's mood seemed to change...from anger to shock. _She probably can't believe what I'm suggesting, _I said to myself, then added, _if she even knows what that is._ But there's little doubt in my mind, especially after what I just heard, about how Caitlin feels about Stringfellow Hawke—she loves him—and in my opinion, as I told her, Caitlin O'Shannessy just might be the person to convince Hawke that this 'curse' he thinks he has on him—the one where everyone he loves, or _might love, _will die—doesn't really exist. Besides which, she did say, '_Dom, don't do that to me. I care about him, too, y'know. Probably MORE than you know!' _to convince Dom to bring her with him on the rescue attempt from Horn. I get the feeling she didn't think I heard her say that, but I did. All those thoughts were running through my head when I heard Caitlin demand, "Wait a second, Michael...you're not sayin' that you're gonna...**order** String to marry me?"

"Not...in so many words, Caitlin," I said. "Hawke said he thought that the FIRM would assign him a wife...so, if you both are agreeable to this...assignment..."

I remember Caitlin considering my suggestion, seriously...for about two seconds. Then, excitedly, she hugged me and said, "Michael, if this idea of yours works_..._and String doesn't decide to kill both of us, then next to String, you'll be my favorite person in this whole world!" For my part, I was remembering the conversation two years ago when Hawke came back into the cabin and found me eating the steak that Gabrielle had prepared for herself, since I'd sent her on ahead to take Angela's place in Libya. Once again, I felt my jaw ache from the right cross Hawke threw at me.

"Of course, you'll be free to invite anyone you wish to witness the ceremony. In fact, once you two decide when you'd like to be married, just let me know, and my friend, Judge Ronald Clevenger, will perform the ceremony," I said, then added, "There's one other thing. If at all possible, let's try to keep this our little secret, until I have a chance to explain it to Hawke...hopefully tomorrow morning, if everything works out."

"No problem, Michael," Caitlin said with a smile. "Your secret's safe with me." I hesitated for a minute, judging Caitlin's expression—even though Dominic and Hawke trust her, and she did help save my life—twice—I haven't been around her long enough to really know her, at least not as well as Hawke and Dominic do...but finally, I nodded, satisfied that she would keep my secret.

But almost as soon as we walked back into the cabin, Hawke came over and asked her what I'd said that had her smiling the way she was. I felt myself holding my breath as I waited for Caitlin to answer him, then relaxed when she said, "Oh, nothing, String."

"Marella," I said, motioning her over to the opposite side of the cabin, "would it be too much to ask if you would stop and pick Caitlin up at her house in the morning? To bring her to Knightsbridge...alone?"

"Alone?" Marella repeated, and I hoped nobody else had heard her.

"Yes," I confirmed. "I...I have something I need to discuss with Caitlin, without Hawke or Dominic around." Marella looked confused, so I assured her, "I promise, I'll explain everything later." Marella nodded and went to talk to Lauren, as we were getting ready to head back to Knightsbridge.

Just before we all left, I walked up to Caitlin and subtly whispered, "Marella will see you in the morning." She imperceptibly nodded in response, and I relaxed as we prepared to go back to Knightsbridge, while Caitlin and Dominic returned to Santini Air. I was surprised at one thing that had happened at the cabin—that Dominic seemed to be agreeing with me about Hawke and Caitlin—but it shouldn't have surprised me, now that I think about it. Like I said before, Dom wants to know that there's someone here to take care of Hawke, after Dom's gone. And if that someone happens to be Cait, so much the better, in Dom's opinion. _I never expected to have Dominic Santini as an ally,_ I said to myself, _but I'll take all the help I can get...because I think I'm going to need it._

The next morning, I was in Zeus' office bright and early—I wanted to discuss this idea of mine with him, before doing anything, so I proceeded to tell Zeus about the comment Hawke had made at the cabin the previous evening.

"Hawke actually said we would..._assign_ him a wife? Is that what you're telling me?" Zeus demanded. If I hadn't heard it myself, I wouldn't have believed it, either.

"I know it sounds crazy, Zeus, but that's exactly what he said," I insisted. "And, I think that would be a wonderful idea—who knows, it might even make Hawke easier to deal with...being married, and all," I said, knowing making Hawke easier to deal with was something Zeus had mentioned before, but I didn't believe was humanly possible..._until now,_ I said to myself. I was preparing a dozen different rebuttals to any possible objections Zeus might throw up at me, but I was surprised when Zeus simply nodded and said, "That...actually sounds like a good idea, Michael."

"Seriously?" I demanded, not quite believing what I'd heard. _It's rare that Zeus agrees with me on __**anything,**_I remembered thinking to myself, _especially anything having to do with Hawke, Dominic, or Airwolf._

"Seriously, Archangel," Zeus replied. "I think being married might be...just what the doctor ordered, to coin a phrase, for Hawke. So you're seriously going to do this, Michael? Assign someone to marry Stringfellow Hawke?"

"Yes, Zeus...and I already have the perfect candidate in mind...Caitlin O'Shannessy."

"Oh, yes...I recall the name...she was the one who helped Hawke rescue you from East Germany, wasn't she?"

"Yes, Zeus...and I got a feeling about them when we talked after the mission...at least, I got a feeling about Caitlin...and after Hawke was kidnapped by Horn, my feeling was confirmed."

"Very well, Archangel," Zeus had said. "You know the situation better than I do, so I leave it in your capable hands."

"Thank you, Zeus," I said, then returned to my office, before Caitlin and Marella arrived.

When they came in a few minutes later, I could tell Caitlin was a nervous wreck...and I couldn't say as I blamed her, either. I mean, if this crazy idea of mine worked, I thought Caitlin would be getting everything she wanted—mainly, Stringfellow Hawke—but if Hawke balked at the idea, or refused it outright, I shuddered to think what the consequences might be, as I rubbed my jaw again. _At the very least, Caitlin will probably go back to Texas,_ I said to myself, knowing she had hinted that she would do exactly that on several occasions. _And whether he wants to admit it or not, that would kill Hawke._ I don't know why, but I got the feeling that, in his own way, Stringfellow Hawke cared about Caitlin...maybe even loved her. _Now, if I can just get him to realize it, and admit it...__without Hawke wanting to kill me__,_ I said to myself.

And I thought about something else that happened last year—when Caitlin was flying home to Texas for her sister's wedding and the plane got hijacked. If she _hadn't _known Hawke and Dominic that day, she'd be _dead_, either drowned or suffocated. And I think I'm safe in saying this—if Hawke didn't have feelings for Caitlin, then he wouldn't have gone after Airwolf to hunt for the plane, without me telling him to first. But, knowing Dominic Santini like I do, I'm sure he's tried to explain that to Hawke a few million times...at least. _Actually, more like a few million times __**per day**_ _since it happened,_ I said to myself, pulling myself back into the present when I heard the office door buzz.

Just then, Marella ushered Caitlin into my office, and the three of us began discussing the plan. "Don't get me wrong," Caitlin said, smiling nervously. "It's not that I don't _want _to marry him, Marella...it's just..." I got the feeling that Caitlin was continuing something she'd said on the ride over here.

"I think I understand," Marella said, smiling back at Caitlin. "You're worried about Hawke not going along with this idea...aren't you?"

"You guessed it," Caitlin said, nodding. "I mean...this idea of Michael's sounded great last night...but when I got home, I started worryin' about what's gonna happen today...and I think if things don't go the way Michael thinks they will, then I'm gonna probably pack up my stuff and go home...to Texas. I just...I couldn't stay here, knowing..." The way Caitlin's voice broke just then confirmed what I'd thought earlier this morning—_I knew it. If Hawke doesn't go along with this, we'll never see Caitlin O'Shannessy again, _I said to myself, knowing that losing Caitlin would be the _worst _thing possible for Hawke. _Lord only knows, Hawke's a lot easier to deal with when she's around...most of the time,_ I thought to myself.

Marella smiled as she brought Caitlin some tea, telling her she needed to relax, and that Marella thought everything would work out just fine. Caitlin smiled nervously and accepted the tea, and I found myself looking at my watch and thinking, _They should be on their way back by now. I wonder...what is Hawke thinking right about now? _

A few minutes later, I got my answer when the outer door to my office buzzed open, and Hawke and Dom walked in—the look on Hawke's face could have burned through _lead,_ he looked so angry, and I had to wonder about what Marella had said a few moments ago—"_I don't know why...but I think everything's going to be just fine." _Looking at Hawke just then, I hoped like hell Marella wouldn't wind up _eating _those words, especially when Hawke demanded to know what was so all-fired important that they couldn't wait for Caitlin, and then when he realized she was _here._

I could tell how nervous Caitlin had suddenly become, so I took over, mentioning Hawke's comment the previous evening. I didn't reference the comment exactly, but I noticed Hawke's face freeze in a mask of sheer terror as he realized exactly what I was referring to. _He's probably thinking, 'when will I ever learn to keep my big mouth shut'?, or something to that effect,_ I said to myself nervously, glancing at Caitlin, then at Marella. Finally, since nobody else had said anything, I decided to continue.

"Hawke," I continued, "after what you said last night, I've had some discussions with Zeus and the Committee, and the FIRM has decided that...that you need a wife. So..." I glanced over at Caitlin as she shyly moved towards Hawke. I proceeded to tell him that it was obvious to everyone, at least everyone in the room, how Caitlin felt about him, and that the feeling was likely mutual, so it seemed like a perfect match. I hesitated, waiting for Hawke's reaction, and he didn't disappoint me.

When Hawke all but demanded to know if I was _ordering _him to marry Caitlin, I found myself wondering if the hostility in his voice was as obvious to everyone else in the room as it was to me, and once again, felt my jaw beginning to ache.

"Not so much an _order,_ Hawke...consider it...an "assignment"...one that I think you'd be foolish to refuse." I glanced back over at Caitlin, and saw the combination of nerves...and _love_...love for Hawke, there in her blue-green eyes.

"So," I continued, "you two are to get married ASAP, and...at some point...start working on a future Airwolf pilot or crewmember," I said, noting the look of embarrassment that came over Caitlin's face.

Dominic decided to comment at this point, telling String that he had nothing to do with what was happening. _Not that he doesn't agree with the sentiment, at least,_ I said to myself, _but he just doesn't want Hawke blaming him for this. Too bad, actually—I have the feeling if Dominic had joined forces with me, Hawke wouldn't stand a chance of resisting my idea...but I'd rather he only be mad at me, since this was my idea._

"Yeah, Dom, I know," String sighed, then added, "And...I don't blame you." Suddenly, Hawke turned on me, and his tone seemed to grow even more hostile. He stopped himself in the middle of a sentence, though, as Caitlin walked up to him, and stared deep into his eyes.

Caitlin proceeded to tell Hawke that there was something she'd wanted to say to him for a long time, but never felt like it was the _right _time to say it. But now, after what I'd just done, she felt like she could say it, out loud. "I love you, Stringfellow Hawke," she said, confirming what the rest of us suspected. "And, I've loved you since the day I came back here lookin' for you, last year." She paused for a moment, as if she were gathering her courage again, then she said she understood what Hawke was so worried about—the curse. _Dom or Marella must have told her,_ I said to myself, _because I sure as heck didn't. _Caitlin then went on to list, rather exhaustively, all the times she's been in danger since she came to California, including the time when her flight home to Texas got hijacked. She also mentioned the time when Hawke and Dom found her in Texas, dealing with that renegade sheriff and his bunch of crooked buddies. I especially hoped Hawke was listening when Caitlin mentioned the hijacking of Flight 093, and the fact that _she _was the one who rescued him from Horn, even fighting him when he attacked her in his room, since he didn't recognize her because of the uniform she was wearing, and the fact that he had been brainwashed.

Then Caitlin went on to say how Hawke loved Le Van, the Asian boy who Hawke believed to be his brother Saint John's son, along with Bobby Phelps and Dom...and that all three of them were still here. _And you forgot Ho Minh,_ I said to myself, remembering Sam Roper's young son who Stringfellow had helped rescue two years ago. _But, Cait wasn't here then, so she probably doesn't know about that mission...unless Hawke or Dom told her about it...but I saw the way Hawke hugged Ho Minh, back at the cabin. And, he's still alive, _I said to myself, having heard from Sam about his son, now named Stringfellow Roper in honor of the man who had helped bring him back to his family. Finally, Caitlin said, "Look—I won't make any promises, like I know happened before...but, String, I know this much—I know how I feel about you, and that I'd like nothin' better than to spend the rest of my life—however long that is, with you." Well, at that point, even though I'm not a baseball fan, the phrase _knocked it out of the park_ came to mind—because Caitlin had taken every reason Hawke might have for not loving Caitlin, and knocked them all out of the proverbial park with her comments. _Nicely done, Cait,_ I said to myself, still wondering, and _worrying, _what Hawke was going to do.

Just from the expression on Hawke's face, I could tell he was thinking—_really thinking—_about what Caitlin had told him, and that gave me cause for hope. _If he weren't, he would've stalked out of here and told Dom he was headed back to the hangar to go home...__or slugged me, then stalked out of here__,_ I said to myself, wondering what he was feeling at that moment. Finally, he turned to Caitlin and said, "Cait, this is crazy. We can't get married just because we've been ordered to..." Hawke was suddenly interrupted when Caitlin, not thinking at all about the fact that three other people were standing in the room with them, threw her arms around Hawke's neck, pulled his head down to her, and kissed him. I noticed Hawke resisted at first, but then quickly warmed to the kiss, wrapping Cait in his arms and pulling her closer to him.

The longer Caitlin held him, the more concerned I became about Hawke...and about Cait. _They've got to _**breathe,**_ sometime, _I remembered saying to myself. Finally, Caitlin released him, and after she'd caught her breath, she told Hawke that she loved him, and wanted to be his wife...and what difference did it make how it happened, anyway? "I guess...I guess it comes down to one question—How do _you _feel, Stringfellow Hawke?" Then, she released her hold on him and stepped back, waiting for his answer.

I have to admit, Marella and I were just as anxious as Caitlin was to hear how Stringfellow Hawke would respond. I could tell just by looking at him that his emotions were going around in circles, as he tried to reconcile what Caitlin had said with what he knew to be true...and I was worried about what he was going to decide to do. Finally, he turned back to Caitlin, wrapped his arms around her, and with a smile—_one that would even impress Bobby Phelps,_ I said to myself—Hawke said, "Cait...I—I love you, too."

As Hawke lowered his head and kissed Caitlin again, I glanced over at Marella and saw the look of relief in her eyes. _You're not the only one, _I said to myself as I glanced at Dom and saw his expression, and knew he was thinking the same thing, or at least, something similar. When they separated again, I said, "So...you'll follow through with the 'assignment,' Hawke?" _He better,_ I said to myself, _or Caitlin would never let him hear the end of it...and neither would I._

"Yeah, Michael, and...thanks. It might be the strangest way two people have ever gotten together, but for some reason, it fits. Don't ask me why," Hawke replied, still smiling. Suddenly, I noticed something. _That grin already looks like it needs to be surgically removed. But I wouldn't dream of suggesting it,_ I said to myself. And the more I thought about what Hawke had said—about this being a weird way to get two people together, but that it fit with Hawke and Cait—I have to admit, the more I found myself agreeing with him.

"You might have a point there, Hawke," I said out loud, smiling back at him. "You just might have a point there." Inwardly, I sighed with relief at how things had turned out, and I knew Marella was doing the same.

Just before Dom, Caitlin, and Hawke left to go back to the hangar, Marella tapped Caitlin on the shoulder and whispered, "See? I told you so. Everything worked out just fine."

"Yeah," Caitlin said, and something in her expression told me she couldn't exactly believe that everything _had _worked out. _That makes two of us, Cait_, I said to myself as Caitlin continued, "and, thanks, Marella. I owe you one." _Oops,_ I said to myself..._I meant, that makes four of us,_ knowing Marella and Dom were both as relieved that things between Cait and Hawke seemed to be working out as Cait or I were.

"Don't mention it," Marella replied. Caitlin smiled back at both of us as they left.

I have to admit, as I watched Caitlin catch up to String and slip her arm around his waist, and saw Hawke slide his arm around her shoulders, that I was surprised at Hawke's decision. Like I said before, I half expected him to stalk out of my office the minute I made the suggestion to him, or to slug me like he did two years ago, _then _stalk out of my office.

"Well," Marella said after the door closed behind Dominic, "that went much better than I expected_._"

"That makes two of us, Marella," I said, shaking my head. "I never thought Hawke would actually go through with it. But, you know something? They look good together. By the way...get me Judge Ronald Clevenger, would you please, Marella?"

"Yes, Michael," Marella replied. A few minutes later, I heard her voice on the intercom. "Judge Clevenger's on Line 2 for you, Michael."

"Thank you, Marella," I said, picking up the phone and hitting the correct button.

"Michael, how the heck are you?" Ron asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Don't tell me—one of those secret agents o'yours got themselves tossed in jail, and you need my help to bail them out. Am I right?"

"Not even close, Ron," I said with a smile. "Actually, I need a favor. You owe me one...or _five," _I said, hoping Ron would remember just how many favors he did owe me. "I need to know when you could perform a wedding."

"A _wedding?"_ Ron echoed. "Whose wedding, if you don't mind my asking?"

"No, Ron," I said out loud. "I don't mind that you asked. But since you did, do you remember Stringfellow Hawke?" I asked, knowing Ron had served as part of our legal counsel for many years, before retiring to become a judge...and I think he even met Hawke once or twice...at least I know Hawke was at Ron's retirement party last year. _With Cait, if my memory serves me right,_ I said to myself.

"Stringfellow Hawke...yeah, the name does ring a bell," Ron said. "Wait a sec, Michael...you're telling me that _Hawke _is the one getting married? Sorry, Michael...I don't buy it." I chuckled to myself at Ron's words.

"Take my word for it, Ron," I said. "You remember I told you about Caitlin O'Shannessy?"

"Oh, yeah," Ron said, "quite the looker, you said, as I recall."

"Oh, for the love of God, Ron!" I shouted. "You're old enough to be that young lady's _father,_ for God's sake!" _And so am I,_ I said to myself.

_"Touché, _Michael," Ron shot back. "And, you _sounded_ just like Caitlin's father just then." _I certainly hope that's not a dig at my age, Ron,_ I said to myself, even as I admitted that my outburst had sounded a lot like one that a father would make.

"So," Ron continued, "you're finally gonna get Hawke married, eh, Michael?"

I smiled and replied, "Yes, Ron...so, when would you be able to do it?"

"Well, lemme see here," Ron said, and the silence told me that he was looking at his calendar. "Looks like...next Friday's wide open. Will that work for everybody, Michael?"

_Ten days,_ I said to myself, knowing I wouldn't be able to tell Hawke about it until tomorrow. Aloud, I said, "I'll let you know, Ron, but pencil that in, would you please?"

"Done, Michael," Ron said a few moments later.

"I'll call you back as soon as I know for sure," I said.

"I'll be waitin', Michael," Ron replied, then added, "Now that I think about Caitlin, I _do _remember seeing her with Hawke at my retirement party from the FIRM last year...and I thought she seemed to only have eyes for him that night—and I don't mean just as his friend. So I was watching them most of the evening, like I bet you were, and I remember when Hawke asked her to dance, how her eyes lit up. So yeah, I got the impression that she cared about Hawke...in more than just a friendly way, if you get my meaning."

_Yes, Ron—you, me, Marella, and anyone else in the civilized world who saw Caitlin that night...or any other time she's with Hawke...or even thinking about Hawke, for that matter,_ I said to myself. Out loud, I said, "I get your meaning, Ron...and I'll talk to you soon," I said, then hung up and got ready to leave the office for the day. And, I remembered seeing Caitlin and Hawke walk into the reception hall that evening..._I had never seen a woman look more in love than Caitlin did that night, _I thought to myself as I pictured the look on her face, as she walked into the hall on Hawke's arm. _Looked like a scene right out of an old movie...or one of those novels I've heard that Marella likes to read,_ I said to myself as I went home.

The next day when I called the hangar, I was relieved to learn that Hawke had proposed properly to Caitlin, and that they were now officially engaged.

"Congratulations," I said to Hawke, wondering if he was smiling as big as I was just then. "Have you decided on a date yet?"

"No...but I think the sooner the better, but I also think we ought to give her family a little warning," Hawke answered, and I recalled hearing about some of the discussions Caitlin had been having with her mother recently, especially after the hijacking. _Good decision, Hawke,_ I said to myself, thinking that if they got married without telling Caitlin's mother, Caitlin could wind up a widow before the ink was dry on the marriage license.

"Well, I've been talking with Judge Clevenger," I said. "Would a week from this coming Friday be too late?" I heard Hawke saying something to Caitlin, and I could almost picture the expression on her face. _She probably thinks it won't be soon enough, _I said to myself, just as Hawke came back on the line.

"Michael, a week from Friday will be fine," Hawke said, and I thought I heard something in his voice. _He sounds...happy. For the first time since I-don't-know-when, he sounds honestly happy,_ I said to myself. Aloud, I said, "All right, Hawke. I'll let Ron know...and...congratulations again," I said.

"All right, Michael. Thank you," Hawke replied, then the line was disconnected. I reached over and pressed my intercom button. "Marella, get me..."

"Ron's on line 3, Michael," Marella replied. "I had a feeling you might be calling the hangar and speaking to Hawke, so I took the liberty to call Ron back myself."

"Thank you, Marella...I owe you one," I said. _Actually, that's just another one I owe her,_ I said to myself as I heard Ron's voice.

"Yes, Michael?" Ron said. "You talk to Hawke yet this morning?"

"Actually, I just got off the phone with him, Ron...and next Friday will work just fine," I said, making a few notes of things we needed to do. "And...thanks. Now, it's only four you owe me."

"I still can't believe Hawke's going to get married," Ron said. "How in the world did this happen?"

"Well, it started a few days ago at Hawke's cabin...Dominic Santini was talking about how worried he was about who would take care of Hawke when he dies...and then Hawke made a comment to Dom—he said, and I quote, 'If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have _assigned me one!__'_" Ron broke out laughing at that comment, and I had to join in. _It is kind of funny, __now that I think about it, _I said to myself.

"He said _that?_" Ron asked, somewhat incredulously.

"Yes, Ron, he did," I said, knowing how funny...and unbelievable, it sounded. "I guess Dominic had been thinking about what would happen to Hawke after he died...and Dom said he wanted to be sure there was someone around to take care of Hawke when that happened, and then Hawke blurted that out. I don't think Hawke knew I heard him say it, though. So, I decided to suggest it to Zeus...that we assign Hawke a wife. And, I already knew Caitlin cared about Hawke as more than just a friend...so she was really the only person I had in mind for this."

"Good thinking, Michael," Ron replied. "I don't know Caitlin like I know Hawke, obviously, but I get the funny feeling they both would have been extremely upset with you if you'd tried to assign anyone _but _her for String to marry."

_More Cait than Hawke,_ I said to myself. "You should have been at Hawke's cabin when I suggested the idea to Cait," I said, remembering the look on her face, as well as her reaction, before she realized that _she_ was the person I had in mind.

"Actually, Michael, I don't think that would have been a nice place to be," Ron replied.

"Well...you're almost right, but fortunately, I was able to convince her that she was the person I had in mind for the...assignment...and she reacted much more favorably after that," I said, remembering how she had hugged me.

"I just bet she did," Ron replied, a chuckle in his voice. "All right, Michael, if there's nothin' else, I've got court in a few minutes...but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay, Ron...and, thanks," I said.

"Don't mention it, Michael," Ron replied, then I heard the click of the phone being hung up on Ron's end.

With that out of the way, I called Marella back into my office to discuss other things we could do for Hawke and Caitlin.

"Marella, do we still have...?"

"Yes, Michael," Marella interrupted me, knowing what I was asking about. "In their personnel files. Including their ring sizes, if I'm not mistaken."

"What?" I asked. I knew our files on both Hawke and Caitlin were complete, but I didn't think _that _information was in there.

"I think so, Michael," Marella replied. "You remember what you said a few months ago...how you wanted to find a mission that would require them to pose as a married couple for cover...I think you said that maybe _that _would be the kick in the behind that Hawke needed, to get him to realize how Cait felt about him? Well, we couldn't very well assign them a mission like that if we couldn't provide wedding bands for them, now, could we?"

I smiled as I recalled having that discussion with Marella in my office several weeks prior. "Now that you mention it, I _do _recall having that discussion. Little did I know we'd end up using the information...for real," I said. "And, you'll take care of...?"

"Yes, Michael," Marella replied, smiling at me. "I'll take care of everything that needs to be done. In fact, I was just on my way to lunch...I'll probably be a little later than usual, though, since I've got other things to take care of."

"I understand, Marella," I said, smiling. "Take all the time you need."

"Thank you, sir," Marella replied before she turned and walked out of my office.

A few hours later, Marella returned with the items she'd purchased while she was out—a very nice set of wedding rings, along with a simple, yet very attractive wedding gown for Caitlin. "I think she'll approve," I said after Marella showed me the gown she had selected.

"I certainly hope so," Marella replied. _I don't know why,_ I said to myself, _but she almost sounds...sad. Well, I'll just have to ask her about it...later,_ I decided.

A few days later, we received an unexpected, yet welcome surprise—Stringfellow's brother Saint John had been located, alive. It turned out that he had been freed from his NVA captors shortly before the "war" ended, but during the debriefings, agents from a separate division of the CIA had approached Saint John and the other former POW's, and asked them if they would be interested in forming a sort of special operations unit—capable of search and rescue, recon, strike missions, and the like. When Saint John explained it to me, it sounded a lot like what Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin do with Airwolf. I had to admit, when I sent the limo back to Santini Air to pick up Caitlin, Hawke, and Dom, I was nervous as to what was going to happen. _But, I'll find out soon enough, _I said to myself. _And, I've got another surprise for him,_ I added, knowing that the question of Airwolf had been answered, thanks to a conversation I'd had with Zeus after we received word that Saint John was on his way home.

Sure enough, when the door opened and I saw Hawke, Caitlin, and Dom, Hawke was, as I had expected, very upset. However, he relaxed considerably when Caitlin took hold of his hand, and when he looked down at her, she smiled at him and whispered, "Relax, String." I noticed Hawke relaxing almost immediately. _It's already working,_ I said to myself, marveling at how quickly Hawke's attitude had changed.

"Relax, everyone," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "This isn't a mission. This is—well, consider this a wedding present, Hawke." Just then, the door buzzed again, and Marella led Saint John into the office.

By the looks on String and Dominic's faces, I gathered they thought they were looking at a ghost. Finally, String stammered, "Saint John? Is—is it really you?" Of course, I remembered how two years ago, a group called the _Schwartzkrieg _had disguised a man as Saint John, and convinced Hawke that Dominic and I had been killed as part of the mission to rescue him—but it had all been an orchestrated plot to steal Airwolf and return her to Libya.

"DNA tests confirm it, Hawke," Marella said, and I was relieved that we had gotten the results back before this impromptu reunion. "This _is _Saint John Hawke—no doubts about it, this time." Hawke dropped Caitlin's hand and ran over to hug his older brother, and Dom joined them a few seconds later. Marella and I glanced at each other, then at Caitlin, and then the three of us watched the reunion, until finally, Stringfellow said, "Cait...come over here. Saint John...meet Caitlin O'Shannessy...my fiancée."

"Fiancée?" Saint John demanded. _Oops,_ I said to myself, knowing I'd forgotten to mention that little detail. "_Fiancé__e__? _You're getting _married, _little brother? Man, I have been gone a long time!" We all laughed at Saint John's statement, knowing it was the truth. Saint John said that it was a pleasure, and welcomed Caitlin to their family, then he said that there had to be a story behind what he'd just heard, and all of a sudden, I got nervous, considering that a lot of the "story" centered around me, the FIRM, and Airwolf.

"Yeah, Saint John, there's a story behind it, all right," String said as we all sat down, and Marella brought coffee in for everyone. String then began telling an...abridged version of the story of how Caitlin had come to California looking for him, to tell him about his friend Jimmy dying. And even without my even mentioning my concerns, Hawke edited his story expertly, conveying the essential details without letting anything slip about his association with me, the FIRM, or Airwolf.

Saint John then said he was surprised to find out that his brother was getting married. He mentioned String's old girlfriend, Kelly, and how Saint John thought String would never get this serious about anyone again after she had been killed. I couldn't help but think of Gabrielle, the pilot who'd flown me to Hawke's cabin two years ago to inform him of Moffet's theft of Airwolf, and my reaction when I learned that she and Hawke had become lovers. That was before I had to send her to Libya when Moffet murdered Angela, of course. _But Saint John doesn't need to know all that,_ I said to myself, as I heard him ask String if they were getting married at the cabin.

"Yeah," String replied. "And, I would really like it if..."

"You even have to ask, little brother?" Saint John replied, smiling. "It would be an honor."

"Then, I just have one question, Sinj," String replied. "Where have you been all these years?" _Here we __go, _I said to myself, fearing that World War III was about to break out, right there in my office.

Saint John described how he'd been approached by officials from the CIA after he and the rest of 1st Air Cav had been freed, shortly before the war ended, and described, as much as he could, the work he'd been doing. I had worried how Stringfellow would react to hearing that his brother had been alive, working under deep cover for all these years, and Saint John addressed my concern, even though I hadn't voiced it, either to him or Stringfellow.

"I figured you and Dom thought I was dead anyway, String," Saint John said sorrowfully, "so I didn't see the harm in it. If I'd known how long you've been looking for me...I never woulda taken the assignment...or I would've found a way to get back here a lot sooner...anyway, a few days ago, some of Michael's people found us, and informed us that our services were no longer needed...so, here I am. And," he said, smiling at Caitlin, "it appears I've arrived just in time." _You don't know the half of it, Saint John, _I said to myself.

"Saint John," String began, and I felt myself tense up, "I hope you realize that I should be absolutely _furious_ about all this...but, I—I just can't be. Heck, if the roles were reversed, I might've done the same thing. So...I forgive you, Sinj...I'm just glad you're home!" I felt myself relaxing as Stringfellow smiled at Saint John, and Saint John returned the gesture, obviously relieved at String's reaction, but at the same time, confused.

"Michael, who the _hell _is this, and _what the hell _did he do with my kid brother?" Saint John demanded, but I heard the humor in his voice, and I thought Stringfellow had, also. "Oh, I'm just kidding you, String...but," he continued, glancing at Caitlin, "I think I know what's happened here. Caitlin, whatever magic you've worked on String, please, don't ever stop."

"Don't you worry about that, Saint John," Caitlin replied, smiling at Saint John. "After everything I've been through to get this guy, I'm not letting him go for a_ long time!"_

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Saint John said, smiling at Caitlin and String. Then he asked, "What do you mean, 'after everything I've gone through to get this guy', anyway, Cait?" I suddenly felt myself tense up as I realized what Caitlin had said.

"Oh, just all that talk about him havin' some kinda cockamamie curse on him," Caitlin added, and I think she realized the slip she'd almost made. I felt myself sighing with relief as Marella came back over to the table.

"Saint John," Marella said, "I—I have some things I need you to look over. Could you come with me, please?" _Good, _I said to myself.

As the door closed behind Marella and Saint John, Stringfellow turned to me and said, "Just let me know when and where, Michael...and I'll turn Airwolf over to you, just like I said. I'm a man of my word, Michael, and..."

_Time to spring the __next __surprise,_ I said to myself. "Well...first of all, Stringfellow, I have something to tell you—even though our end of the bargain is fulfilled, with Saint John being home, I had a long discussion/argument with Zeus yesterday—and, I'm pleased to tell you that he came around to my way of thinking...that Airwolf, in the hands of you three, is the best field tool we have. Not to mention the fact, as I told you two years ago, Hawke, even if you _did _return her, there's no way the President would ever let the FIRM use her again. So, for our purposes, she's all yours...provided you continue flying her, as needed, for us." I hesitated a moment to gauge everyone's reaction, and I wasn't surprised when their jaws collectively dropped.

Finally, Dom demanded, "You're serious, Michael? The Lady...is ours, just like that?" Somehow, the fact that Dominic Santini had recovered his voice first hadn't surprised me, either.

"Yes, Dominic," I replied. "I'm serious. Now, that doesn't mean another agency like the Pentagon, the NSA, or CIA might not try to recover Airwolf, like Bogard's Department of Public Security did...but it does mean that I can run official interference for you. Now," I continued, changing the subject, "I know you've probably been wondering what Marella and I will say to Caitlin's mother on Friday." I saw Stringfellow nod, and I wondered just how much he and Caitlin were worried about explaining Marella and me to her family. "Well, for that day, we will just appear to be old friends of your father's...nothing more, nothing less."

"Thank you, Michael," Hawke said, obviously relieved that I'd given some thought about what I would say if anyone in Caitlin's family became curious. "We appreciate that." I simply nodded and said, "You're welcome...both of you."

As I watched Caitlin, Dom, and Stringfellow leaving the office, I couldn't help but recall something that had happened the day Moffet stole Airwolf. Marella had been explaining Airwolf's capabilities to Sen. William Dietz, who was observing as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"_The latter offers him 14 firepower options, from 20-millimeter cannon to nuclear-tipped Shrike missiles. In other words, Senator, Airwolf is a Mach-1 plus chopper...that can __**kick butt,"**__ Marella had said, smiling._

But something about that smile startled me. It seemed too..._warm_ for an occasion like that. The way she smiled seemed more like the type of smile a woman would give to the man she loved...kind of like the way I saw Caitlin smile at String when they came into my office. _I wonder..._I said to myself, pushing the thought out of my mind quickly.

On the morning of Hawke and Caitlin's wedding day, I sent the limo for Judge Clevenger early, so we would be able to fly up to the cabin in time to go over the last minute details with Hawke. We were all waiting outside the cabin, wanting to keep the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the ceremony intact, when a woman came around to the back of the cabin. This woman seemed a few years younger than Caitlin, but I could definitely see the resemblance. _Must be her sister,_ I said to myself. A few moments later, String confirmed my suspicion.

"There you guys are," she said, smiling at Saint John and Stringfellow. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Well, no wonder you couldn't find us, Erin," String said, smiling. "We haven't _been _all over." _If I weren't standing here, I wouldn't have believed it,_ I said to myself. _Stringfellow Hawke actually told a __**joke. **_It seemed to me, however, that Erin hadn't found Hawke's comment funny at all. Her expression suddenly turned extremely serious, and I wondered why she was so upset, especially today. But a moment later, I got my unspoken question answered.

"String, I've got somethin' I forgot to tell you last night," Erin said, and I saw Dom and String both tense up. "I'm sure glad you came to your senses about Cait...but I'm only gonna warn you once—you hurt her, and I'm comin' back here to beat your brains in myself! I taught Cait everything she knows about fightin', I'll have you know!" _Why am I not surprised?_ I asked myself. And, even though I suspected she had nothing to worry about, I understood why Erin said what she did. _She loves Cait...like any big sister. But I'm not worried—Hawke would never do anything to hurt Cait...he loves her too much. __And besides, Cait would probably beat the crap out of Hawke if he ever did anything that stupid._

"Erin," String replied with an easy grin, "I understand...and just for the record, I don't plan on ever doing anything to hurt Cait...it sure took me a long time to realize it...but I love your sister very much. But I'll say this—if I ever _did _do anything like that...I wouldn't stop you from doing whatever you felt like you had to do." I was relieved after Stringfellow smiled at Erin, and she smiled back at him. _Of course, Caitlin might beat you to that, Erin,_ I said to myself as I watched Hawke and Erin embrace a moment later.

"I'm glad we understand each other," Erin replied, smiling, then she drew String into a friendly embrace. "And last night, it was obvious how much you and Cait love each other. Welcome to our family, String. We're sure happy to have you!" Her expression grew puzzled as she separated from String, and noticed me. "I'm sorry, sir...I don't believe we've met."

"Sorry, Erin," Hawke said. "This is Michael Coldsmith-Briggs III...he's a friend of my parents'." Hawke said as I came forward and shook hands with Erin.

"A pleasure to meet you, Erin," I said.

"Likewise," Erin replied, then turned back to String and Saint John. "All right, you guys...it's about time." String and I headed towards the dock where Judge Clevenger stood, while Saint John and Dom walked with Erin to the cabin to line up for the start of the ceremony.

I caught Hawke's expression out of the corner of my eye as Caitlin and Dom began walking towards us, and if I hadn't known it before then, I knew it now—Stringfellow Hawke, whether he wanted to admit it or not, had been in love with Caitlin for a _very _long time. _And she does look beautiful today,_ I said to myself as they approached us and Dom gave Caitlin's hand to Hawke. I noticed her makeup was already ruined by the tears running down her cheeks, but I guessed...I _hoped..._that they were happy tears, brought out by what was about to happen. Then, I noticed tears in _Hawke's _eyes, too...which, I have to admit, surprised me. Hawke and Cait smiled at each other, then turned to Judge Clevenger to begin the ceremony.

When Judge Clevenger said. "From what I've been told, Stringfellow Hawke and Caitlin O'Shannessy have had a long and...interesting journey to get to this time and place, together," I saw the look in both Hawke and Caitlin's eyes, and I wondered if they were thinking the same thing I was—_You have __**no idea.**_

"I've been informed that String and Caitlin each have something they'd like to say," the judge continued.

"Cait," Hawke began, "I know I've done a lot of things wrong...and if I could take them back, I would. But I promise you—from this day forward, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. I love you, Cait...forever and always...and I promise that I will always be here for you...no matter what." I glanced over at Marella, and saw that she had tears in her eyes, too...actually, I think _everyone _had tears in their eyes as Hawke finished speaking.

"String," Caitlin replied, "you know how I feel about you—I told you before that I have loved you since the first day I saw you back at the hangar. And I am so proud, and so happy to be here with you today, and that we're going to be together forever. I love you, String...always, and forever...and I promise you that I will always be by your side...to love and support you...no matter what." I even felt a tear in my good eye at what was happening.

"Stringfellow Hawke," Judge Clevenger said after a moment's silence, "do you take Caitlin O'Shannessy to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise to love her and comfort her, all the days of your life?"

Hawke smiled and replied, "I do."

"Caitlin O'Shannessy, do you take Stringfellow Hawke to be your lawful wedded husband? Do you promise to love him and comfort him, all the days of your life?"

Caitlin looked deep into Hawke's eyes, and with tears of love and joy shining in hers, she replied, "Yes. I do."

"The rings, please," Judge Clevenger said, as Saint John handed them over.

"Stringfellow, take Cait's ring, place it on the third finger of her left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring,"_ String replied.

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed."_ I watched as Hawke slipped the gold band onto Caitlin's finger.

"Caitlin, take Stringfellow's ring, place it on the third finger of his left hand, and repeat after me. With this ring..."

"_With this ring..."_

"I thee wed."

"_I thee wed." _Caitlin replied as she slid the ring onto Hawke's finger.

"Then, by the power vested in me by the great state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Judge Clevenger finished, as Hawke pulled Caitlin into his arms and kissed her. As we all burst into applause, Judge Clevenger said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke!" They kissed each other again as the applause rang out across the lake.

"We made it, String," Caitlin said happily after they separated.

"Yes, we did, Cait," Hawke replied, smiling at her. "Now...we're together forever."

"I love you, Stringfellow Hawke," Caitlin said proudly.

"I love you too, Caitlin Hawke," Stringfellow answered, with just as much pride and happiness in his voice as I'd heard in Caitlin's a moment ago. We all retired to the cabin after congratulating the newlyweds, as Dom had once again taken it upon himself to fix dinner for the small party. Conversation was lively and loud, especially from Dominic, and centered on Hawke and Caitlin's plans for the future. And, I got the funny feeling that Caitlin's mother was already trying to get Caitlin pregnant, even though they had only been married for a few minutes. _Patience, Mrs. O'Shannessy,_ I said to myself.

Finally, Marella, Lauren and I said our final congratulations to Hawke and Caitlin, and flew back to Knightsbridge. After we landed, I said to Marella, "Marella...are you all right?" Something in her expression worried me, and I wanted to know if there was anything I could do.

"Yes, Michael," Marella said, but I wasn't totally convinced by her tone of voice. "I'm fine...just really happy for Hawke and Caitlin."

"If you say so, Marella," I said, and left it at that.

Eight months later, we were all back in my office again, having one of our usual post-mission discussions. And, once the topic of the mission was covered, the conversation quickly turned to Hawke and Caitlin's marriage...at least, I thought it had, until I heard Dominic speak up.

"Michael," Dominic suddenly burst out, "what about you? Why haven't you ever gotten married?"

"I guess I never found the right woman," I replied.

That comment got Hawke's attention, and he proceeded to tell me that he didn't believe that I had never found the right woman—probably some reference to the fact that there are _so many_ attractive women working at Knightsbridge—at least, that's what I thought at the time. Now, I realize Hawke was trying to hint that Marella might be the right woman for me.

"Well, Hawke," Michael replied, smiling at both Hawke and Dominic, "I guess I'll say the same thing to you that you said to Dominic a while back—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!" Little did I know that my words would be turned back on me just a few weeks later.

"Something on your mind, Michael?" Hawke asked me a moment later.

"Oh, nothing, Hawke," I replied nervously. "Just...thinking about something I said a minute ago." _And I __know I sound like something out of a Star Wars movie, but all of a sudden, I have a very bad feeling about this, _I said to myself nervously.

Hawke's smile just then indicated he knew exactly what I was talking about. "Well, Michael...I wouldn't worry too much about it—after all, like you said, you haven't seen Zeus recently, so how would he know what you've been thinking?"

"I suppose you're right, Hawke," I agreed, all the while thinking, _At least, I hope so. I'd hate for Zeus to do to me what I did to you...even if it is for a good reason. And, who knows how Marella would react...especially if Zeus "assigned" someone other than her to marry me. But...would that be so bad? __Being assigned to marry Marella, that is? I suppose I'll never know...but it is worth thinking about,_ Michael mused.

A few weeks later, my world was turned upside down when, during another of our after-mission discussions, Lauren informed us that Zeus wanted to see Marella and me in his office..._immediately._ I hesitated, then asked if Zeus would mind if the Hawkes and Dominic came with us, and Lauren said she didn't think he would mind.

Zeus greeted all of us, paying special notice to Caitlin's new last name, which she acknowledged with a polite nod and smile directed back at Zeus, then he proceeded to try and tell all of us to relax—which _really _made me nervous—the only time Zeus has ever told Marella or me to relax has been when he was about to drop a serious bombshell on us.

"What is this all about, Zeus?" I demanded.

"Michael, relax," Zeus replied, with an uncharacteristic smile. "Actually, though, this does concern the both of you. You see, Michael," Zeus continued, "the Committee has made a decision recently. We have decided"—Zeus hesitated for a moment, much as I had eight months ago before I sprang this "assignment" on Hawke—"that you _also _need a wife."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. On the one hand, it meant that Zeus had been spying on me, and heard me say that to Hawke a couple of weeks ago. And on the other hand, I now knew how Hawke felt eight months ago, as I felt my anger shoot up, and my blood pressure along with it. "Zeus," I said, trying to delay what I perceived to be inevitable for as long as possible, "I was only speaking facetiously...I never meant..."

"Nonsense, Michael," Zeus replied, shaking his head. "After considering how much marriage has improved Mr. Hawke's disposition"—Zeus nodded at Caitlin, who merely smiled and nodded back to him—"The Committee has decided that you might benefit from a similar...assignment." He caught the expressions on both Marella's face, and mine, and moved to reassure us.

"Archangel...surely you don't think I had anyone else in mind than Marella for this...assignment?" I wondered if my expression just then told him all he needed to know. "Archangel...it's obvious to me how you feel about Marella...actually, it's probably obvious to most everyone in this room," he continued. "And I have a hunch that the feeling is mutual between the two of you. So...I expect the two of you to get married, ASAP, and to begin working on...shall we say...the next generation of Deputy Director? Or maybe the next generation of the Deputy Director's personal aide?" I suddenly felt myself turn red at Zeus' insinuation, but I couldn't decide if it was from embarrassment or anger; while Marella's expression seemed to border between shock and anticipation. Then I remembered saying something similar to Hawke and Cait—"_and, at some point...start working on a future Airwolf pilot or crewmember,"_ and I have to admit, I relaxed...a _little._

"Zeus, you can't be serious," I protested, ignoring Marella's expression. "I mean, yes, I did the same thing to Hawke...and I'm pleased to see how well that has worked out, but you can't seriously think that I would..." I stopped myself as Hawke walked up to stand next to me.

"Michael," Hawke said, "at least think about what Zeus is suggesting. You never know," he continued, winking at Marella, and then at Caitlin, "you might wind up as happy as we are." Hawke turned and smiled at his wife, even as he noticed Dom trying to stifle a laugh from behind them, and I finally lost the tenuous hold I had on my temper.

"Mind your own goddamned business, Hawke!" I roared, angrily. Then, embarrassed, I recalled Hawke saying almost the same thing to me eight months ago, when this whole thing started.

"I'm sorry, Hawke," I quickly said, realizing how hostile I must have sounded. "That was uncalled for."

"Apology accepted, Michael," Hawke replied. "Guess now you know how I felt eight months ago."

"As a matter of fact, Hawke, I do," I replied. _In more ways than one, _I added to myself, then turned quickly back to Zeus.

"Zeus, if there's nothing else..."

"No, no, nothing else. You're all dismissed," Zeus said, then added, "Archangel, think about what I've said...because I expect a decision within 48 hours."

"So, Michael," Hawke said when we were all back in my office, "what are you going to do?"

"I...don't know, Hawke," I replied, noticing Marella's expression turn decidedly downcast at my statement. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, Michael, you only have 48 hours to figure it out," Hawke said with a smile. "So don't take too long thinking it over. Let me give you a small piece of advice—go with your feelings...that's what I did eight months ago. And," he smiled at Caitlin as she walked over to him and they slipped their arms around each other, "I can honestly say I've never been happier."

"I can see that," I said, grinning. "And personally, I hope I never _stop_ seeing it. All right, Hawke...I'll think about it."

Hawke, Caitlin and Dom left a few minutes later, leaving Marella and me alone in the office, and the tenuous hold I had on my temper finally snapped. "I can't believe it! He was spying on me! _ME, _for God's sake!" I roared, scaring Marella and causing her to turn on her heel and almost fly out of my office. I immediately felt guilty for what I'd done, and resolved to apologize to her, as soon as I got the opportunity.

Unfortunately, Marella decided to avoid me for the rest of the day, and by the time I went home that evening, I was more depressed than I'd been in a long time. As I finished my evening rituals and prepared for bed later that night, I was suddenly struck by a thought I hadn't allowed into my mind in quite some time. _I'm—I'm lonely,_ I said to myself, as I realized that the impetus for the thought had most likely been Zeus' assignment earlier that day, but I had to admit, the feeling of acute loneliness was stronger than anything I'd experienced in a long time. _Now I really know how Hawke felt before he married Cait,_ I said to myself as I tried to sleep. I also felt something else welling up in my heart—a deep love and respect for Marella. _I think it's...it's always been there,_ I said to myself. _I've just been too stupid to admit it._ I remembered the day at Red Star, when I grabbed Marella and threw my body on top of hers, to shield her from the weapons fire. _Marella doesn't know the real reason I did that,_ I thought. _I—I just couldn't bear the thought of life without her...even back then. I guess...I guess I loved __her even then,_ I admitted to myself, finally allowing myself to relax. But the image of Marella's horrified expression, just before she ran out of my office, filled my mind. I had to do something...say _something_...to make it right, but I just wasn't sure _what._

_Well...I guess there's only one thing to do,_ I decided as I felt an uneasy sleep finally claim me, _and that's tell her...everything_.

The next day, Marella continued her pattern of avoiding me as much as possible, and finally, just before we left for the evening, I decided to do something. "Marella...may I speak with you for a second?"

"Yes, Michael?" Marella replied, trying to keep her nerves from carrying through to her voice—but failing miserably.

"You've been acting awfully strange today, Marella—is something wrong?" I queried, and the concern in my voice was obvious to her.

"I'm—I'm sorry, Michael," Marella stammered in reply, "I just thought it would be better if I avoided you until you made up your mind."

"Ah, yes...the 'assignment,'" I sighed, taking hold of Marella's hand. "What do you say you come to my house for dinner tonight...and we can discuss it further?"

Fighting a wave of tears, Marella glanced down at our joined hands, nodded, then whispered, "I—I think I'd like that, Michael."

That night as we ate, I decided to ask Marella about her feelings about Zeus' assignment.

"So, Marella...I guess you have a few...questions about why I asked you to come here this evening," I said nervously, sounding like nothing other than a teenaged boy on his first date.

"That's an understatement, Michael," Marella replied, smiling at me to try and calm my nerves. "You've never invited anyone to your home for dinner...even Hawke. It...surprised me, I'll have to admit."

"Well," I replied, "I've been thinking a lot about what Zeus told me yesterday...and...I came to realize something last night."

"What was that, Michael?" Marella asked anxiously.

"Marella...I realized last night that...that I love you," I said, noticing the tears that flooded Marella's eyes. "And, I've loved you for a very long time. I've just been too stubborn, or stupid, to admit it, until now."

"Oh, Michael," Marella replied, her emotions shining in her eyes, "I love you, too. I think I've loved you ever since that day at Red Star...and I've been hoping for a long time to hear those words from you." She was ecstatic, yet surprised, when I had stood up, walked around the table to where she sat, then took her hand and pulled her from her chair, and kissed her.

"There's something I never told you about that day at Red Star," I said after we had separated and caught our breath.

"What, Michael?" Marella asked me.

"There's...a reason I did what I did, Marella," I continued. "I—I just couldn't imagine my life without you. Even then...I was in love with you."

"Michael...I have a confession to make," Marella said, smiling at me. "I've loved you since that day, too. Guess we were both just too stubborn to admit it."

"I guess so," I agreed.

"So...what do we do now?" Marella asked. "There is still that assignment we have to think about."

"Well, I think we need to get to know each other better...on a more personal level," I said. "I mean, we've worked together for the past three years, but we still don't know each other beyond that...and I think even though we know how we feel about each other, we'd only be doing ourselves a disservice by getting married too soon."

Moving closer in my arms, Marella replied, "I like the way you think, Michael...I just hope it doesn't take too long." Then she'd kissed me again.

Fortunately for us, Zeus didn't even bring up the assignment on what was supposed to be my 'decision day,' but the day after that, I got a very angry page to report to his office.

"Michael...did you forget something yesterday?" Zeus' eyebrows went up questioningly.

"Yes, Zeus...I think I did forget something," I replied, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"_And?_"

"And," I replied, pausing for effect, "Marella and I talked about the...'assignment' the other night—over dinner at my house," I continued. Zeus' expression softened at the words _"over dinner at my house," _but I could tell that he still didn't know what I was thinking.

"Well?" Zeus demanded. "Did you come to any conclusions? I told you to marry Marella ASAP, isn't that correct?"

"Yes, sir, you did," I replied.

"So why haven't I heard about a wedding date yet?" Zeus was _really _starting to get angry now.

"You told us to get married ASAP," I replied, forcing myself to stay calm, "but it's not possible—yet."

"_NOT POSSIBLE?_" Zeus roared. "Michael, I want you to know that I'm rapidly losing my patience with you. Why in the hell isn't it possible for you two to get married yet?"

"Because we don't know each other well enough," I answered truthfully.

Zeus was caught between a rock and a hard place—and I knew it. I had to wonder what was going through his mind as he considered everything I had just told him. _It's all true,_ I said to myself. _We may have worked together for three years, but that's not...enough to build a marriage on,_ I said to myself.

"Michael," Zeus said, struggling once again to regain control of his emotions, "do you have any idea how angry I am right now?"

"Actually, yes," I replied, feeling an uncharacteristic amount of pride and satisfaction at seeing Zeus so unusually flustered.

"I just have one question—were you a lawyer before you joined the FIRM?" Zeus demanded.

"No, Zeus...although Marella and I have both read our fair share of legal material," I replied. "And I know that even though you told us to get married ASAP, you never set a time frame...so you left yourself wide open for just this possibility. And," I continued, anticipating Zeus' next question, "even though we've worked together for three years, Marella and I don't know each other..._personally..._well enough to think about marriage just yet."

Once again, Zeus had to admit that I had outsmarted him. "One of these days, Michael...I'll figure out how you manage to always be one step ahead of me," he grumbled.

"If there's nothing further, sir?" I inquired.

"No, nothing further," Zeus said angrily. "Dismissed—and don't make me wait too long before you decide to get married."

"I'll keep that in mind, sir," I said as I left Zeus' office.

When I got back to my office, I found Marella waiting for me.

"Well? How did Zeus take the news?" Marella asked me.

"About as well as could be expected," I replied, shaking my head. "Zeus is none too happy that I found...shall I say, a loophole in his assignment. But, like we discussed at dinner the other night, we don't know each other well enough, personally, to think about marriage. Although," I continued, a mischievous grin crossing my face, "I don't think it's going to take too much longer."

"I like the way you think, Michael," Marella replied, moving closer to me. She placed a friendly kiss on my cheek before walking out of my office. As I watched Marella walk away, her hips swaying ever-so-seductively, I said to myself, _Zeus, I think you'll be hearing something sooner than you imagine._

Over the course of the next few weeks, Marella and I began seeing each other, personally, almost every night, and every night we realized just how much we loved each other. One day, during another post-mission conversation, Hawke noticed something.

"Michael, you seem...different," Hawke said in my office.

"In what way, Hawke?" I asked innocently.

"I can't really put my finger on it...but something's different about you. You seem...I don't know...happier, I guess," Hawke said hesitantly.

"Well, Hawke," I said, glancing at Marella, "I am happy...I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I think...I think Zeus might have had the right idea."

"_I heard that, Michael!_" Zeus' voice came over the loudspeakers in Michael's office.

"I know, Zeus," I replied to the air. "I suspected you might be listening in—that's why I said it." I couldn't help myself—I grinned at Hawke, Dom and Caitlin. Then, I proceeded to invite them all, including Marella, to my house for dinner the next evening.

"Shall we say...around 7:30?" I asked.

"Sounds good, Michael," Hawke agreed, and Caitlin nodded her agreement.

"Good...I'll see you all at 7:30 tomorrow, then." I said with a smile.

The next day, Marella tried on several occasions to get me to tell her why I was planning this little dinner party...and on a couple of occasions, she tried _all_ her feminine wiles...but I wouldn't break. I have had classes in resisting torture, of course...not that anything Marella did was torture, except in the sense that I was really beginning to wonder if I'd be able to keep my secret until the time felt right. Finally, though, the workday had ended, and I said to Marella, "I'll see you at 7:30 tonight, then?"

"Yes, Michael," Marella replied, and I could hear the anxiety in her voice.

The next evening, Marella arrived first, and Dominic and the Hawkes were not far behind. We had a lively round of conversation over drinks before dinner, then retired to the kitchen to eat. By the time we were finished with dinner, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep my secret much longer, so I asked Dom to fix everyone a glass of champagne, then had Marella sit down in a chair at one end of the room. I noticed her eyes flood with tears as I slowly got down on one knee, then revealed the box containing the engagement ring as I said, "Marella...will you marry me?"

Her hesitation, short though it was, made me nervous. Finally, she answered me. "God, yes, Michael! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" As I slipped the ring onto her left hand, she wiped the tears out of her eyes with her right hand, just before I drew her to her feet and kissed her, much to the delight of our guests.

"Congratulations, Marella...and you too, Michael!" Hawke exclaimed, as he shook my hand, then gave Marella a friendly kiss on the cheek. Dom did the same, and Caitlin embraced both Marella and me.

"I hope this isn't going to be too long of an engagement, Michael," Hawke said with a grin.

"I'll be calling Judge Clevenger first thing tomorrow," I replied, then added, "and we were wondering, Hawke...would it be possible for us to get married at your cabin, the way you and Caitlin did?"

"Of course, Michael," Hawke replied. "Just let me know when."

"Thank you, Hawke," I replied, then added, "Oh...I have one other request. Would you stand as my best man?"

"Michael," Hawke replied, "It would be an honor."

"Then this will work perfectly," Marella said as she and Caitlin came over to us, "since Cait agreed to be my matron of honor." Everyone laughed, then Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin got ready to leave.

"We'll let you know when we'd like to get married, Hawke," I said as they shook hands once again.

"Okay, Michael," Hawke replied, then added, "and congratulations again."

"Thank you, Hawke," Marella said, smiling, "and good night."

I noticed Marella wasn't in any hurry to leave, and I wondered what she was thinking. But as soon as Hawke, Cait and Dom had left, she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me with everything she had, and I felt every ounce of her feelings for me, and returned her passion with my own. When I separated us, I could read the desire in her eyes as plain as day, and I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the bedroom, where we made love until early the next morning.

When we got to the office the next morning, a little later than usual, the first thing I did was call Judge Clevenger.

"Michael, what's on your mind today?" Ron asked.

"Oh...just thinking about...a wedding," I replied, and something in my tone of voice must have tipped Ron off.

"Yours, I hope?" He asked, and I could hear the anticipation in his voice.

"Yes, Ron," I said. "Marella and I are getting married...next Saturday, actually. And we were wondering..."

"Say no more, Michael," Ron said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "That date's wide open, so I'll put you down. Will this be at Hawke's cabin again?"

"How did you know?" I demanded.

"A wild guess, Michael," Ron replied. "Nothing more, nothing less. All right, then—I'll see you next Saturday...and before I forget, congratulations, Michael."

"Thank you, Ron," I said, then hung up the phone just as Zeus paged me to his office.

"You wanted to see me, Zeus?" I asked as I walked in.

Just from the tone of Zeus' voice, I could tell he was barely controlling his anger when he asked if I knew why he'd called me into his office.

"Yes, Zeus, I think I do," I replied, smiling at him.

Zeus then angrily demanded to know why he hadn't heard anything from me about my decision regarding his "assignment" for almost a month, and that he couldn't believe that we still felt like we didn't know each other well enough to get married. I felt an uncharacteristic satisfaction come over me, and the smile it generated only seemed to anger Zeus further, so I decided to come straight to the point, telling him that we had gotten to know each other much better over the past month, and that there was something I needed to tell him.

"Well, don't just stand there, man..._tell me, already!_" Zeus roared, his temper finally boiling over.

"Zeus," I said, surprised at my ability to remain calm in this situation, "if you're not busy Saturday afternoon, I'd like to invite you to Hawke's cabin... for our wedding."

"I'll be there, Michael," Zeus replied, a rare smile crossing his face. "One way or the other, I'll be there."

"Thank you, sir," I replied. "Is there anything else?"

"No, Michael," Zeus replied, finally losing some of his anger. "You're dismissed."

Just before I stepped out of the office, Zeus muttered, _"It's about goddamned time!"_

"Yes, sir," I agreed, turning back towards Zeus' desk and smiling at him. "Marella and I feel the same way."

"Get out of here, Michael!" Zeus replied. "Don't you have a wedding to plan?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, closing the door behind me as I left.

So now, we've come full circle, as Marella and I stand on the dock at Hawke's cabin, along with Stringfellow and Caitlin, Saint John, Zeus, and Dom. As I gazed into Marella's eyes as we recited our vows, I knew without a doubt that I was exactly where I wanted to be, and with the person I was supposed to be with. Finally, we heard Judge Clevenger say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Coldsmith-Briggs!" I smiled as Marella and I kissed each other for the first time as husband and wife, to the cheers of everyone present.

When it was over, Zeus stepped in front of us, smiling. "I told you this before, Michael, but it's about damned time! Now, I have one other...small request," he continued.

"Yes, Zeus?" I asked, concerned.

Zeus simply shook my hand and said, "Don't make me have to chaperone any rooms back at Knightsbridge when you return from your honeymoon in two weeks. We have closets for that."

"_SIR!"_ Marella cried out, shocked. "You can't believe that we would behave unprofessionally while at work!"

"Actually, I don't believe you would, Marella," Zeus replied. "Nor would Michael, I don't think."

"No, Zeus. We will maintain the highest possible professionalism at all times while in the office, you have our word," I said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Zeus replied simply.

Later that evening, after we had left the cabin and returned home, I carried Marella across the threshold of our home, smiling as I did so. Once I set Marella back down, our feelings for each other erupted once again in a passionate kiss. Finally, I separated us and said, "Welcome home, Mrs. Coldsmith-Briggs." I noticed the smile come to Marella's face at her new last name.

"Thank you, Michael," she said, and I saw the tears in her eyes. "I never thought I could be so happy."

"I'll do my best to make sure you stay happy for the rest of our lives, Marella, my dear," I replied.

"And I'll do the same for you, my love," Marella answered me, before I swept her into my arms and carried her to the bedroom, where I proceeded to show Marella just how much I loved her.

As we fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms, I couldn't help but think back to the words I'd so casually uttered in my office that day—_If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have __assigned me one!_ As stupid as I felt for saying the words the day Zeus sprang this "assignment" on me, now, I felt an enormous sense of relief—relief that I had finally found the woman I could share the rest of my life with. _Marella and I belong together, just like Caitlin and Hawke,_ I said to myself as I felt Marella snuggle closer in my arms. _And now, we are._ As I felt sleep overtaking me, I couldn't help but ponder the future...a much happier future now, with the woman I love by my side as my wife. _Where __she belongs,_ I said to myself happily.


	6. Chapter 6

_If The FIRM Wanted Me To Have a Wife... Chap. 6_

A/N—Thanks as always go to **Riabhach, ****kaidii****i****, Ms. Anonymous, jareya, bamboozlepig, and OldSFfan** for their reviews/feedback.

A/N #2—This chapter will close out this little story arc. Once again, a shout-out to **VisualIdentificationZeta(VIDZ) **for allowing me to borrow the original story, and I hope you've enjoyed the direction I took it, with the character POV's—robertwnielsen

_Why can't he see it_? I asked myself for about the thousandth time since I met Caitlin O'Shannessy a year ago. We were all up at Hawke's cabin—Dominic Santini, Caitlin, Michael, Caitlin and I, along with Lauren, Michael's prime pilot—and we were discussing how Robert and Bobby Phelps were doing since Robert had been released from the hospital, but I was getting the impression that Caitlin had other things on her mind. _Or one thing...or person...in particular,_ I said to myself. Of course, I was thinking about Stringfellow Hawke, but I supposed that my original question—_why can't he see it,_ that is—could also be applied to Michael...and how I feel about him—the fact that I love Michael the same way that I think Cait loves Hawke...but that's another story...for another time.

I think I've liked Caitlin O'Shannessy ever since we first found out she'd been hired by Dominic Santini last year. Her tenacity and take-no-prisoners attitude are qualities that I can definitely appreciate. And she knows how to relax and have a good time, too—I've seen it, at several FIRM functions that she's been a guest at, most particularly Judge Ronald Clevenger's retirement ceremony from the FIRM's legal team last year. Just then, I heard Caitlin speak up.

"Glad Robert and Bobby are doin' okay," Caitlin said.

"Yes," I replied, "I know Michael was concerned about that...and of course, I remember what Bobby said at the clinic."

"I sure hope Bobby didn't draw a picture of Catherine," Caitlin said, smiling at me. I recalled hearing about when Michael said he wished Robert Phelps would let him know the next time he got one of his "high-tech brainstorms," so that Michael could assign some people to keep their eyes on Robert and Bobby. Bobby glanced over at Catherine, who was sunning herself a few feet away, and said, "Like _HER?"_ which caused everyone around him to laugh.

"Actually, I think he did," I said, smiling back at her. "At least, that's what I heard the other day."

But my mind was occupied with other matters—mainly, the attraction I sensed between Caitlin and Hawke, one-sided as it may have been. I recalled what Michael had told me happened at the clinic when Bobby gave Hawke a picture he'd drawn. Bobby had said, "You look good, when you smile!" And Caitlin, according to Michael, had a look on her face that seemed to say 'You're darned right, he does!'

And that's not the first thing I've heard...or seen...that's given me ideas that Caitlin has feelings for Hawke that are other than just friendship. I remember at Ronald Clevenger's retirement party from the FIRM, Caitlin had gone with Hawke—ostensibly as friends—but everyone there, including Ron, could see the expression on her face when Caitlin walked in on Hawke's arm, just like a scene out of an old movie—or out of one of those novels I enjoy reading—and then especially when Hawke asked her to dance towards the end of the evening. _She looked exactly like a woman in love, _I said to myself as I remembered Cait's expression. I also recalled how Michael told me, after he'd been rescued from Kinskov and Krueger last year, how every time either he or Dominic mentioned Hawke's name, Caitlin's eyes absolutely _lit up._

Finally, I decided I needed to ask Caitlin if what I thought was true—that she was in love with Hawke. I looked around and found Dominic, Hawke, and Michael talking by themselves, and Lauren was engrossed in Hawke's art collection—not surprising, actually, since Hawke _does_ have a very impressive collection, and Lauren had been an art student before she came to us. I was wondering how to suggest that Caitlin and I talk privately, but she beat me to it.

"Hey, Marella," Caitlin said, surprising me, "let's go outside and talk for a few minutes."

"All right," I said, realizing I'd just been handed a gift-wrapped opportunity. And I've never been one to let an opportunity like that go to waste. We walked a short distance away from the cabin—far enough, I hoped, that Hawke wouldn't hear any of our conversation—until I finally decided to ask what was on my mind.

"Caitlin, may I ask you something?" I began.

"Okay," she said in reply, and by the tone of Caitlin's voice, I got the feeling she was not exactly sure what I meant.

"How do you feel about Hawke? Really?" I inquired.

"I figured you knew," Caitlin said, and I could tell she was embarrassed by her feelings. "Marella, I love Hawke. I think I've loved him ever since the day I saw him in that jail cell back in Pope County. I dunno...maybe that's why I came back here to find him after his friend Jimmy got killed."

_I knew it,_ I said to myself. "I figured as much," I said out loud. "I've seen the way you look at Hawke sometimes...especially after a mission, or something like that. And, there's what Michael told me after you helped Hawke and Dominic rescue him from East Germany last year."

"What did Michael tell you?" Caitlin asked, and I knew from the sound of her voice that she was not only extremely embarrassed, but very nervous about what Michael might have said to me.

"Nothing much," I replied, laying a hand on Caitlin's shoulder to relax her, "just that whenever he mentioned Hawke's name, your eyes would light up. Michael told me afterward that he got the feeling even then that you had feelings for Hawke." I could see by Caitlin's expression that she remembered how her face lit up when Hawke's name was brought up that day.

"Yeah. I mean—heck, Marella, you know what I mean," Caitlin said. "I've felt like that about String for a long time...when he kissed me on that movie set last year, even before the mission to rescue Michael, I really thought String felt somethin' more than just friendship for me. And when I thought...when I thought he'd died in my arms, after I gave him that antidote at Horn's compound, I realized just how much I love him." Caitlin sighed and shook her head before she continued. "But who am I kidding, anyway? It doesn't matter how much I love String...he doesn't feel the same way about me, so I'm just kidding myself if I keep wishin' for something else."

"Cait," I began, and I hoped Caitlin understood that what I was about to say...I didn't want to say, "I—I know how you feel. In a way, what you're telling me sounds a lot like the..." I cut myself off before I could finish my sentence, but I could tell by Caitlin's expression that she was curious, and that she wasn't going to let it go easily.

"Now, wait just a minute," Caitlin said. "You're not gonna put somethin' like that out there and just leave me hangin', I hope. What did you mean by that?"

"Nothing, Caitlin," I replied somewhat sheepishly, wishing I hadn't said anything.

"With all due respect, Marella—that's baloney," Caitlin shot back. "I told you how I feel about Hawke...so c'mon, out with it. You're obviously hidin' feelings about somebody...and, I think I've got a pretty good idea who that 'somebody' is. If I guess...and I'm right...would you tell me?"

I debated silently for a few seconds before I finally answered her. _I wonder if she's figured it out,_ I said to myself. "All right," I said out loud. I know Caitlin O'Shannessy is a very smart woman—not to mention tenacious. In a way, I'm surprised Michael never recruited her into the FIRM as a field agent—_she would have made a good one,_ I thought.

"You've got feelings for Michael," Caitlin guessed, and I hoped my expression didn't betray the answer, even though she was right. "You feel about Michael the same way I do about String—you love him, right?"

"Yes, Caitlin, I do love Michael," I replied, feeling embarrassed that my secret was out—and yet, relieved that Caitlin was the one who had figured it out. "I don't know when I fell in love with him...maybe that day at Red Star when Moffet stole Airwolf, and Michael threw me down onto the floor just before Moffet opened fire on the base—or maybe it was when Krueger and Kinskov captured Michael in East Germany...but somewhere along the line, I fell in love with Michael, just like you did with Hawke."

"Hey, Marella," Caitlin said, trying to soothe my concerns, "don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I won't tell a soul...I promise."

"Thank you, Caitlin," I replied, then added, "and yours is safe with me." We walked back into the cabin as I heard Michael saying, "I know, Hawke. Just...think about what I said, will you?" _What did you say, Michael?_ I remembered asking myself. The look on Hawke's face seemed to me to be saying, _Butt out, Michael_...or something to that effect.

Just then, Michael came up and laid a hand on Caitlin's shoulder. "Caitlin, could I speak with you a moment? Outside?"

"Sure, Michael," Caitlin replied, and she went outside again with him. Now I was _really _curious—what would Michael be talking to Caitlin about, without Hawke and Dominic? _Can't be about a mission, _I said to myself. _If that were the case, Caitlin would probably be the last to know. And...I still don't have any idea what's got Hawke so upset,_ I said to myself, knowing that if I dared ask him, I'd be taking my life into my own hands. I'd heard about how Hawke punched Michael two years ago after Michael told him that he'd sent Gabrielle 'on ahead,' after Moffet sank that U.S. Navy destroyer off the coast of Libya. Of course, Hawke didn't know until he arrived at the Red Castle that Michael had sent Gabrielle in Angela's place, but Michael told me about their conversation—and the fat lip he got from Hawke. Don't get me wrong—I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, just like Caitlin is...but the thought of Hawke being angry with me, even if he didn't do anything _physical_, which I doubted he would, was still extremely frightening to me...Mainly because of the fact that Michael and I don't have a lot of friends, and I feel privileged to be able to count Caitlin, Dominic, _and _Hawke among those friends—so I'm not about to do anything that might jeopardize our friendship. _Besides,_ I said to myself later, _I can always ask Michael about it on our way back to Knightsbridge._

A few hours later, just as we were getting ready to leave, Michael said to me, "Marella...would it be too much to ask if you would stop and pick Caitlin up at her house in the morning? To bring her to Knightsbridge...alone?"

"Alone?" I repeated, surprised.

"Yes," Michael confirmed. "I...I have something I need to discuss with Caitlin, without Hawke or Dominic around." Michael noticed my confused expression and said, "I promise, I'll explain everything later." I nodded and went to talk to Lauren, as we were getting ready to head back to Knightsbridge. Just before we left, I heard Michael say to Caitlin, "Marella will see you in the morning." She glanced over at me and I smiled, and nodded subtly, so that neither Hawke nor Dominic could see.

Once we were in the helicopter headed back to Knightsbridge, my curiosity finally got the better of me. "All right, Michael," I said, "it's later...so what are you up to?"

"Marella, I have a story to tell you...that you probably won't believe," Michael said, and he proceeded to tell me about the conversation Dom and Hawke had. When he told me how Hawke had said, '_Besides, you know the old saying—If the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would have assigned me one!', _I started to laugh.

"It is kind of funny, now that I think about it," Michael said.

"Well, Michael...you're right about one thing—I _don't _believe you," I said when I stopped laughing. "Hawke actually said _that?_" I asked.

"Marella, I was standing right there when it happened," Michael told me. "I don't think Hawke knew that I heard him say that...and...I got the strangest feeling that Dominic is on my side."

"Not surprising," I said, remembering how Michael had told me that Dominic had been pushing to try to get Hawke and Caitlin together romantically, practically since Caitlin's flight to Texas for her sister's wedding had been hijacked. "So, what are you going to do?" I asked.

"Simple," Michael replied. "Hawke said the FIRM would assign him a wife...so I'm going to 'assign' him and Caitlin to get married."

_Well, at least you'll assign him the right woman,_ I said to myself, knowing that if Michael had tried to assign anyone else _but _Caitlin, Hawke would probably do something that would make the fat lip he gave Michael seem insignificant by comparison. _To say nothing of what Cait might do,_ I said to myself, remembering what we'd talked about a few minutes ago. "So, that's why you want Caitlin at the office by herself in the morning?" I asked, wanting to make sure I understood everything.

"Yes, Marella," Michael replied. "While you're picking Caitlin up, I'll be talking to Zeus, and suggesting the idea to him."

"Well, Michael," I said, shaking my head, "I wish you luck...because I think you're going to need it." I smiled at him, a friendly smile that showed that I was concerned about him.

"I know, Marella," Michael replied, and the rest of the flight passed in silence.

The next morning, I made sure that I was at Caitlin's house bright and early. "So...you know what's goin' on?" Caitlin asked.

"Yes," I replied. "Michael explained what he's going to do on the way back to Knightsbridge last night." I smiled at Caitlin as she grabbed her purse and jacket, then we walked to the limo for the trip to Knightsbridge.

"Marella," Caitlin said to me as we left, "I gotta tell you—I thought this was a great idea Michael had, last night...but now, I'm thinkin' that if Hawke doesn't go along with the idea, I'm probably gonna pack up and head back to Texas. I just...I couldn't stay here, knowing..."

"I know, Caitlin," I said. "And we wouldn't blame you under those circumstances...but let's think positive, okay?"

Her expression brightened a little. "Okay," she said, and I thought I saw the beginnings of a smile. "And...thanks."

"Don't mention it," I said as the limo pulled into the garage at Knightsbridge. We got out and I said hello to Lauren, who was taking the limo back to the hangar to pick up Dominic and Hawke.

I ushered Caitlin into Michael's office, and the three of us began discussing the plan. "Michael," I said, "what did Zeus have to say about your idea?"

"Surprisingly, he went along with it," Michael said. "He thinks, as I do, that getting Hawke married might be the best thing for him. And," Michael said, smiling at Caitlin, "he also thinks Caitlin would be good for Hawke." _I can't believe it,_ I said to myself. _It's not often that Michael, Zeus and I agree on anything_. I made a mental note to write that down as soon as I got back to my desk.

"Don't get me wrong," Caitlin said, smiling nervously. "It's not that I don't _want _to marry him, Marella...it's just..."

"I think I understand," I said, smiling back at her as we sat down. "You're worried about Hawke not going along with this idea...aren't you?"

"You guessed it," Caitlin said, nodding. "I mean, it's like I told you on the way here...this idea of Michael's sounded great last night...but when I got home, I started worryin' about what's gonna happen today...and I think if things don't go the way Michael thinks they will, then I'm gonna probably pack up my stuff and go home...to Texas. I just...I couldn't stay here, knowing..." I sensed Caitlin's nerves catching up with her again, just like they had in the limo on the way over, and I moved to reassure her again.

"Cait, relax," I said as I brought her a cup of tea. "I don't know why...but I think everything's going to be just fine." Caitlin smiled nervously and accepted the tea, and I looked at my watch, thinking that Lauren had probably arrived at the hangar by now. _I can only imagine what Hawke's thinking right now,_ I said to myself. _Especially since __I'm guessing that __Lauren said Michael wanted to see Hawke and Dominic, but they weren't going to wait for Caitlin. I just hope he's not too angry at Michael,_ I said to myself as I fixed another cup of tea for myself. _And now...the hard part. The waiting,_ I said to myself, knowing it would take a couple of hours for Lauren to return with Hawke and Dominic. I glanced over at Cait, and I could tell she was nervous...almost to the point of being scared.

A couple of hours later, I heard the door to Michael's office buzz and Lauren ushered Hawke and Dominic in. _Uh-oh,_ I said to myself when I looked at Hawke. The look on his face could have burned through _lead_, and now I started worrying about what was about to happen. I thought about my words to Caitlin a few minutes ago—_I don't know why...but I think everything's going to be just fine,_ I had said. _I sure hope I don't end up eating those words, _I said to myself as Hawke realized that Caitlin was here with us...and he seemed to grow even angrier.

Michael started off by mentioning Hawke's comment from the night before, and once again, I saw how nervous Caitlin was becoming about the whole situation. At first, I don't think Hawke knew what Michael was referring to, but when I saw Hawke's face freeze in an expression of abject _terror,_ I knew that Hawke had figured out what Michael was talking about. _He's probably thinking, 'when will I ever learn to keep my big mouth shut,' or something like that,_ I said to myself as Michael continued.

"Hawke," Michael continued, "after what you said last night, I've had some discussions with Zeus and the Committee, and the FIRM has decided that...that you need a wife. So..." I saw Michael glance over at Caitlin as she shyly moved towards Hawke. He proceeded to tell Hawke that it was obvious to everyone, at least everyone in the room, how Caitlin felt about him, which it was, and that the feeling was likely mutual, so it seemed like a perfect match. Michael and I hesitated, waiting for Hawke's reaction, and he didn't disappoint either of us.

When Hawke all but demanded to know if Michael was _ordering _him to marry Caitlin, the hostility in his voice was obvious to me, and I began worrying about Michael again. _At least, if Hawke does anything, the security guards would be in here in a few minutes._

"Not so much an _order,_ Hawke...consider it...an "assignment"...one that I think you'd be foolish to refuse," Michael said. I couldn't help but glance over at Caitlin, and I saw a combination of anxiety, nerves, and love for Hawke there in her eyes.

"So," Michael continued, "you two are to get married ASAP, and...at some point...start working on a future Airwolf pilot or crewmember," I said, noting the look of embarrassment that came over Caitlin's face. _The FIRM has a euphemism for everything, _I said to myself. _Even having kids._

Dominic decided to comment at this point, telling String that he had nothing to do with what was happening. _As much as I wish Dominic had joined forces with Michael...I understand what he's doing—he wants to make sure Hawke doesn't hold this against him...and to be fair, it is Michael's idea. _

"Yeah, Dom, I know," String sighed, then added, "And...I don't blame you." Suddenly, Hawke turned on Michael, and his tone seemed to grow even more hostile. He stopped himself in the middle of a sentence, though, as Caitlin walked up to him, and stared deep into his eyes.

Finally, Caitlin decided to say something. "String," she began nervously, "There's...somethin' I've been meaning to tell you for the longest time...but I never found the right way, or the right time, to say it. But now," she paused for a minute, gathering her courage, then continued, "considering what just happened, I feel like I want to say it—I love you, Stringfellow Hawke...and I've loved you since the day I came back here lookin' for you, last year. And I know what you're worryin' about—the curse. But, String...look at the times I've been in danger since I've known you...Holly, the hijacking, Villers, and that other air service we were investigating...not to mention what happened with Bogan when I first met you...when Jenkins and Del Lomo kidnapped me...and of course, when you were kidnapped by Horn, _I _was the one who rescued you, Stringfellow Hawke...and even after all that—I'm _still here._ And...you love Bobby...and Le Van...and most of all, Dom...and they're all still here. Look—I won't make any promises, like I know happened before...but, String, I know this much—I know how I feel about you, and that I'd like nothin' better than to spend the rest of my life—however long that is—with you, String." When Hawke looked down at Caitlin, I wondered if he could see the love in her eyes as well as I could. _And_ _I've got to hand it to you, Caitlin...you knocked Hawke completely out of the proverbial ballpark, with all the times you've been in danger since you've known him...and survived, _I said to myself. _And that doesn't include __all of the times she was in danger__ when she was a cop back in Texas...plus what I've heard Bogan tried to do to her,_ I said to myself as I remembered reading some of the information from Cait's background check—she'd been in danger a bunch of times back in Texas, and even _died_ during surgery to remove a bullet, after she got shot during a routine traffic stop—but she's _still here,_ I thought to myself, even as I heard Hawke drawing a breath like he was getting ready to say something. _Here we go,_ I said to myself.

"Cait," Hawke said, hesitantly, "this is crazy...we can't get married just because we've been ordered to..." Finally, I got the impression that Caitlin had decided something along the lines of _Okay, that's it. Enough is enough already _when she suddenly reached up, wrapped her arms around Hawke's neck, and pulled his head down to hers, capturing his lips with hers in a deep and passionate kiss. At that moment, I could tell she didn't care about anything...or any_one_ else. I got the impression that Caitlin had decided that she was going to convince Hawke how she felt about him, that she loved him, and she wasn't going to let anything, or anyone, stop her.

The longer Caitlin held the kiss, the more concerned about both Hawke and Caitlin I became. When she separated them, once Caitlin caught her breath, she said, "Oh, to heck with the 'assignment,' String! I love you—and I want to be your wife. What difference does it make how it happened anyway?" I demanded, then continued, "I guess...I guess it comes down to one question—How do _you _feel, Stringfellow Hawke?" Caitlin released her hold on him and stepped back, waiting for his answer.

From the look on Hawke's face, I got the feeling that his emotions were more conflicted than at any time in his life. _Or at least, any time since I've known him,_ I said to myself. I began wondering what he was thinking—whether he had really listened to Caitlin telling him how she was perfectly able to take care of herself, and that it would be okay if he loved her, the same way that she loved him.

Just about the time I thought Caitlin was considering saying something, Hawke turned to her and wrapped her in his arms...and I saw him smiling...something I've rarely seen from Hawke since I've known him. _This looks promising, _I said to myself, still holding my breath, waiting for Hawke's answer. Finally, he said, "Cait...I...I love you, too." And then, he kissed her again, much to the delight of all of us. _Especially Dominic,_ I said to myself as I glanced over at him and noticed the grin breaking out across his face.

I couldn't believe what I'd heard—or what I was seeing. _Finally!_ I said to myself when Hawke broke the kiss and I saw him smiling wider than I had ever seen him smile since I've known him. I suddenly felt myself feeling a lot better about this whole thing, when I heard Michael asking if Hawke would follow through with the assignment. I noticed Hawke hadn't let go of Caitlin, and was still smiling when he said, "Yeah, Michael, and...thanks. It might be the strangest way two people have ever gotten together, but for some reason, it fits. Don't ask me why."

"You might have a point there, Hawke," Michael said, smiling. "You just might have a point there."

Just before Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin left with Lauren to go back to the hangar, I smiled at Caitlin and said, "See? I told you so. Everything worked out just fine."

"Yeah," Caitlin said, and I was almost in shock that everything _had _worked out the way I thought it would. I saw Caitlin wipe a few tears out of her eyes and said, "And, thanks, Marella. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," I replied. I was shocked, glad, and relieved that Hawke seemed to be taking this change in his relationship with Caitlin so positively. And when I saw Caitlin catch up with Hawke and slide her arm around his waist, and saw Hawke slide his arm around her shoulders, I knew that things were definitely looking up.

"Well," I said after the door closed behind Dominic, "that went much better than I expected."

"That makes two of us, Marella," Michael said, shaking his head. "I never thought Hawke would actually go through with it. But, you know something? They look good together. By the way...get me Judge Ronald Clevenger, would you please, Marella?"

"Yes, Michael," I replied, walking out of his office and back to my desk. I dialed Judge Clevenger's office, and a few minutes later, I heard Ron's voice.

"Judge Clevenger."

"Ron, hi...it's Marella," I said.

"Hi, Marella," Judge Clevenger replied. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Business, I'm afraid. Michael wants to talk to you," I said. I quickly buzzed Michael. "Judge Clevenger's on Line 2 for you, Michael," I said.

"Thank you, Marella," Michael said. I had to wonder what Ron would think about this idea of Michael's. _Heck, I think even he noticed how Caitlin feels about Hawke, at his retirement party last year,_ I said to myself, even as I recalled seeing Caitlin walk into the reception hall, the night Ron retired from the FIRM, on Hawke's arm—I had never seen a woman look more in love than Caitlin did that night—_like a scene right out of one of my novels,_ I remembered thinking to myself later. Then I remembered something—I pulled up my computer's journal program and typed in a note on today's date: _Michael, Zeus, and I actually agree on something...that Caitlin and Hawke belong together. I think it's the first time we've actually agreed on anything._ I gave the note a quick once-over, then saved it and password-protected the entry. _Just in case,_ I said to myself.

A few minutes later, I heard Michael's voice on the intercom again. "Marella, could you come into my office?"

"Yes, Michael," I said.

When I walked back into the office, Michael proceeded to tell me that Ron would be able to marry Hawke and Caitlin a week from Friday. "Do we know if Hawke proposed properly?" I asked.

"I suppose I'll find out tomorrow," Michael said. "I'll be calling Hawke back at the hangar to let him know when Ron can perform the ceremony."

"Well, at least since he can't do it until next Friday, it'll give Caitlin time to get her family here," I said, remembering hearing about the argument Caitlin and her mother had when her flight to Texas had been hijacked. I don't know why, but I had a feeling that if Caitlin and Hawke got married and her family _wasn't _involved, they would both be in _serious trouble. _

"I think you're right, Marella," Michael said as I turned to leave.

"About what, Michael?" I asked.

"If Cait and Hawke get married, and her mother doesn't know about it, Cait could very well be a widow before the ink is dry on the license," Michael said.

"How did you know what I was—oh, never mind," I said, amazed at how well Michael could pick up on my feelings. _Just another reason why I think we belong together, as much as Hawke and Cait,_ I said to myself as I left his office.

The next day when Michael and I arrived at Knightsbridge, it was all I could do to keep from calling Judge Clevenger right away. Finally, though, I couldn't resist, and dialed his office.

"Judge Clevenger," I heard.

"Hi, Ron...it's Marella again," I said brightly.

"Hi, Marella," Ron said. "So...am I going to be reserving a date for a wedding soon?"

"Well," I said, just as I heard my intercom buzz. "Hold on a second, Ron...Michael just buzzed me."

"Sure thing, Marella," Ron said.

"_Marella, get me..."_Michael began, but I interrupted him.

"Judge Clevenger's on Line 3 for you," I said. "I had a feeling you might be calling the hangar and speaking to Hawke, so I took the liberty to call Ron back myself."

"_Thank you, Marella...I owe you one," _Michael said. As I went back to work, I thought to myself, _Actually, that's another one you owe me, Michael...and I plan on collecting, sooner or later._ Now that things seemed to be moving in the right direction with Hawke and Caitlin, I was seriously thinking about how I was going to broach the subject of my feelings for Michael to him.

All the same, though, I can't help wondering about Hawke—I mean, everything I saw when they left the office the other day was extremely encouraging—but I know him. Stringfellow Hawke can flip out and go back to full-blown silent mode faster than Airwolf can accelerate to Mach 1...so I knew that until they actually exchanged rings, everything with him and Caitlin was still 'fluid,' as we like to say in our business. In other words, things could fall apart at any moment, under any circumstances.

Just then, my intercom snapped me out of my reverie. _"Marella, could you come in here, please?"_

"Yes, Michael," I said.

Michael's first question surprised me. "Marella, do we still have...?"

"Yes, Michael," I interrupted him, almost instinctively knowing what he was asking me. "In their personnel files. Including their ring sizes, if I'm not mistaken."

"What?" Michael asked. I think Michael knew our files on both Hawke and Caitlin were complete, but I got the feeling he was surprised to find out _that _information was in there. _But he shouldn't be,_ I said to myself. _After all, he's the one that requested it._

"I think so, Michael," I replied. "You remember what you said a few months ago...how you wanted to find a mission that would require them to pose as a married couple for cover...I think you said that maybe _that _would be the kick in the behind that Hawke needed, to get him to realize how Cait felt about him? Well, we couldn't very well assign them a mission like that if we couldn't provide wedding bands for them, now, could we?" I smiled inwardly as I recalled _just_ howfrustrated Michael had gotten over not being able to find a mission that would require Hawke and Caitlin to pose as husband and wife. Now it looked like we wouldn't have to.

The way Michael smiled told me that yes, he did recall having that discussion with me in the office several weeks prior. "Now that you mention it, I _do _recall having that discussion. Little did I know we'd end up using the information...for real," Michael said. "And, you'll take care of...?"

"Yes, Michael," I replied, smiling at him. "I'll take care of everything that needs to be done. In fact, I was just on my way to lunch...I'll probably be a little later than usual, though, since I've got other things to take care of."

"I understand, Marella," Michael said, smiling. "Take all the time you need."

"Thank you, sir," I replied, then turned and walked out of Michael's office.

My first stop was to a local jewelry shop that I frequented—in fact, the owner had set several rings aside for me to choose from. I gave the owner Hawke and Caitlin's ring sizes, and he produced a lovely matching set of gold bands. "Perfect," I said as I paid for them.

"You finally taking the plunge, Marella?" the owner asked, startling me.

"No," I sighed, a little more emotionally than I intended. "Not...yet, anyway."

"Well, keep a good thought," the owner said. "It'll happen for you...sooner or later."

"I certainly hope so," I replied, taking the bag he handed me and leaving the store. The next item on my agenda was looking for a wedding gown—and I have to say, that depressed me almost more than picking out the wedding bands did. I mean, it's like I told Caitlin at the cabin that night—I love Michael the same way she loves Hawke, and I want nothing more than to be married to him. _I just wonder if it's ever going to happen,_ I said to myself sadly after I purchased the dress for Caitlin, then headed to a restaurant for lunch before I went back to the office.

A few hours later, I returned with the items I'd purchased while I was out—"I think she'll approve," Michael said after I showed him the ring set and gown that I had selected.

"I certainly hope so," I replied, hoping that Michael hadn't caught the sad tone of my voice. _Well, if he did, he probably wouldn't do anything about it, anyway, _I said to myself sadly.

A few days later, we received an unexpected, yet welcome surprise—Stringfellow's brother Saint John had been located, alive. Saint John, we found out later, had been freed shortly before the "war" ended, but during his medical and psych debriefings, some agents from another division of the CIA had approached him, along with the rest of the former POW's, and suggested that they form a kind of Special Operations Group, or SOG as we call them. This unit would be capable of a multitude of missions—from search and rescue to reconnaissance, strike, even deep infiltration and extraction—in a way, not too much unlike the variety of missions that Hawke, Dominic, and Caitlin perform with Airwolf. I have to admit, when I heard Michael send Lauren to pick up Hawke, Dom, and Caitlin, I was nervous—I mean, I had a feeling Hawke would be happy when he learned that he'd been right all along, and that Saint John was alive...but I also knew that when he discovered what kind of work Saint John had been doing, any relief and happiness Stringfellow Hawke felt over being reunited with his brother would dissipate quickly.

Two hours later, when the door to Michael's office buzzed open again, the first thing I noticed was Hawke's expression—_I was afraid of this,_ I said to myself. Just then, Caitlin reached for Hawke's hand, and said, "Relax, String." And just like that, I saw the tension ease out of Hawke's body, and he was even able to smile at Caitlin. _It's already working,_ I said to myself, marveling at how quickly Hawke seemed to calm down.

"Relax, everyone," Michael said as I stepped out of the office. I met Saint John and said, "We're ready. Are you?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Saint John replied as the door buzzed again, and I led him into Michael's office.

By the looks on String and Dominic's faces, I gathered they thought they were looking at a ghost. Finally, String stammered, "Saint John? Is—is it really you?" Of course, I remembered how two years ago, a group called the _Schwartzkrieg _had disguised a man as Saint John, and convinced Hawke that Dominic and Michael had been killed as part of the mission to rescue him—but it had all been an orchestrated plot to steal Airwolf and return her to Libya. I remember meeting with Dominic to try to get Hawke back after we learned that his helicopter had crashed. So I understood Stringfellow's hesitancy, and moved to reassure him.

"DNA tests confirm it, Hawke," I said, and I was relieved that we had gotten the results back before this impromptu reunion. "This _is _Saint John Hawke—no doubts about it, this time." Hawke dropped Caitlin's hand and ran over to hug his older brother, and Dom joined them a few seconds later. Michael and I glanced at each other, then at Caitlin. At first, I have to admit, the way Hawke just let go of Caitlin's hand and ran over to his brother seemed awfully rude...but then I thought about it for a minute. _He hasn't seen Saint John in sixteen years, _I said to myself. _I'm sure Cait understands that. _A sideways glance at Caitlin confirmed my suspicions—she seemed to understand that String needed this time with his older brother. Just then, String said, "Cait, come over here. Saint John...meet Caitlin O'Shannessy...my fiancée."

"Fiancée?" Saint John demanded. _Oops,_ I said to myself, knowing I'd forgotten to mention that little detail. "_Fianc__é__e__? _You're getting _married, _little brother? Man, I have been gone a long time!" We all laughed at Saint John's statement, knowing it was the truth. Saint John said that it was a pleasure, and welcomed Caitlin to their family, then he said that there had to be a story behind what he'd just heard, and all of a sudden, I saw that Michael had gotten nervous, and I knew why—considering that a lot of the "story" centered around the FIRM, and Airwolf.

"Yeah, Saint John, there's a story behind it, all right," String said as we all sat down, and I brought coffee in for everyone. String then began telling an...abridged version of the story of how Caitlin had come to California looking for him, to tell him about his friend Jimmy dying. And even without either Michael or me even mentioning our concerns, Hawke edited his story expertly, conveying the essential details without letting anything slip about his association with the FIRM or Airwolf.

Saint John then said he was surprised to find out that his brother was getting married. He mentioned String's old girlfriend, Kelly, and how Saint John thought String would never get this serious about anyone again after she had been killed. I glanced at Michael, and I wondered if he was thinking of Gabrielle, the pilot who'd flown him to Hawke's cabin two years ago to inform him of Moffet's theft of Airwolf. I had been as surprised as anyone, with the possible exception of Michael, to learn that Hawke and Gabrielle had become lovers, but it certainly explained why Hawke was so bitter after he came back from Libya, and hid Airwolf.

Then, I heard Saint John asking String if his wedding would be at the cabin, and I think he started to ask Saint John to stand with him, as his best man...but Saint John seemed to know what was coming.

"You even have to ask, little brother?" Saint John replied, smiling. "It would be an honor."

"Then, I just have one question, Sinj," String replied. "Where have you been all these years?" _Okay, __everyone,_ I said to myself. _Get ready for World War III_.

Saint John proceeded to explain how he'd been approached, along with several other members of 1st Air Cav, to form the elite SOG force I mentioned before—and even though neither Michael nor I had mentioned our concern about Stringfellow's reaction to this news, Saint John seemed to anticipate it, and had an answer.

"I figured you and Dom thought I was dead anyway, String," Saint John said sorrowfully, "so I didn't see the harm in it. If I'd known how long you've been looking for me, then I swear I never woulda taken the assignment...or I would've found a way to get back here a lot sooner...anyway, a few days ago, some of Michael's people found us, and informed us that our services were no longer needed...so, here I am. And," he said, smiling at Caitlin, "it appears I've arrived just in time." _I couldn't agree with you more, Saint John,_ I said to myself, smiling.

"Saint John," String began, and just like that, I felt myself tensing up again, "I hope you realize that I should be absolutely _furious_ about all this...but, I—I just can't be. Heck, if the roles were reversed, I might've done the same thing. So...I forgive you, Sinj...I'm just glad you're home!" I felt myself relaxing as Stringfellow smiled at Saint John, and I saw Saint John smile back at String—he was relieved that String seemed to be taking his news so well, but I could tell at the same time, he was confused.

"Michael, who the _hell _is this, and _what the hell _did he do with my kid brother?" Saint John demanded, but Michael and I both heard the humor in his voice, and I thought Stringfellow had, as well. "Oh, I'm just kidding you, String...but," he continued, glancing at Caitlin, "I think I know what's happened here. Caitlin, whatever magic you've worked on String, please, don't ever stop."

"Don't you worry about that, Saint John," Caitlin replied, smiling at Saint John. "After everything I've been through to get this guy, I'm not letting him go for a_ long time!"_

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Saint John said, smiling at Caitlin and String. Then he asked, "What do you mean, 'after everything I've gone through to get this guy', anyway, Cait?" I noticed Michael tense up, and I instinctively knew what he was suddenly concerned about.

"Oh, just all that talk about him havin' some kinda cockamamie curse on him," Caitlin added, and I think she realized the slip she'd almost made. I heard Michael sighing with relief as I came back over to the table.

"Saint John," I said, "I—I have some things I need you to look over. Could you come with me, please?" Saint John stood up, winked at the group still seated at the table, and followed me out of Michael's office. Fortunately, I did have a few papers that I needed Saint John to look over, because I knew what Michael wanted to do—he wanted to inform Hawke about the conversation he'd had with Zeus recently, and the fact that Zeus had finally realized that if Hawke followed through with their original agreement, the FIRM would never see Airwolf again. Michael had gotten Zeus to agree that Airwolf, in the hands of Stringfellow Hawke, Caitlin O'Shannessy, and Dominic Santini, was the best field tool we had...so they would continue flying her, as needed, for us.

"These are the papers I was talking about, Saint John," I said, handing him a stack of documents. He quickly scanned each one, signing the ones that needed to be signed, and finished just as Michael led Stringfellow, Caitlin, and Dominic out of his office.

As the foursome left, I noticed Stringfellow...it is going to be strange, thinking of him as something other than just 'Hawke,' like I have for the past almost three years...but I can't call him just 'Hawke' anymore...anyway...I noticed that Stringfellow and Caitlin were still holding hands, and while I was happy for them, I must admit to feeling a slight pang of jealousy. Michael informed me that on Friday, if anyone from Caitlin's family should ask either of us how we know Stringfellow, we would simply say that we were old friends of his father's, and leave it at that. _Sounds like a good idea to me,_ I said to myself when Michael told me about it.

When I went to sleep that night, I couldn't help but remember the day that Senator Dietz viewed the weapons demo...the day Moffet stole Airwolf. I had just finished describing Airwolf's capabilities to Senator Dietz, ending my spiel with the line, _"In other words, Senator—Airwolf is a Mach one-plus chopper...that can __**kick butt.**_" I then smiled, warmly, at both Senator Dietz and Michael. _But that smile was meant more for Michael than for the Senator,_ I said to myself sadly, remembering that Michael seemed too preoccupied with Senator Dietz's badgering over the fact that the FIRM had, in secret, developed a tactical weapon. I have to admit, I felt a surge of satisfaction when Michael told Senator Dietz, _"A __**billion dollars, **__Senator. Give or take a few cents," _when Sen. Dietz asked what the FIRM wanted, in exchange for turning the prototype aircraft over to the Department of Defense, to let _them_ take credit for it.

Finally, Stringfellow and Caitlin's wedding day had arrived—the ceremony was a small one, there at the cabin—myself and Michael, Caitlin's mother Maggie and her older sister Erin, Saint John, Lauren, Saint John's son Le, Dom, who volunteered to give Caitlin away, and of course, the bride and groom. I was not in the least surprised when Dom gave Caitlin's hand to Stringfellow, to see her eyes full of tears, and the careful job my assistant, Jacqueline, had done with Cait's makeup was completely ruined. What _did _surprise me was the fact that _Stringfellow's_ eyes seemed to be full of tears as well. I had to admit, I was fighting tears myself—not just for Stringfellow and Caitlin, but also because I wished so badly that Michael would pull his head out of the sand...and his ass...and realize how I feel about him. _Maybe...maybe that could be __**us**__ someday, _I said to myself as Judge Clevenger introduced Mr. and Mrs. Stringfellow Hawke, for the first time.

Dominic had taken it upon himself to fix dinner for the small party, and when we were finished, Michael, Lauren and I left the cabin to go back to Knightsbridge, and home. When we returned to Knightsbridge, Michael asked me, "Marella...are you okay?" _Darn it. He noticed,_ I said to myself.

"Yes, Michael...I'm fine," I said. "Just...real happy for Hawke and Caitlin." _I did it again,_ I said to myself, not catching my "Hawke" slip, until the words were already out of my mouth.

"If you say so, Marella," Michael replied...but something in his tone of voice told me he wasn't completely convinced. When I went to bed that night, I finally let loose the emotions I'd kept pent up all afternoon and evening, as I cried myself to sleep.

Eight months later, we were all back in Michael's office, conducting another of our post-mission debriefings. After the specifics of the mission were discussed, the topic of conversation shifted to Stringfellow and Caitlin's marriage...for a moment. Then, Dominic made a comment that definitely got my attention.

"Michael," Dominic suddenly burst out, "what about you? Why haven't you ever gotten married?"

"I guess I never found the right woman," he replied, unaware of the reaction his comment had caused in me. I did my best to conceal my reaction to Michael's comment, and I thought I did a pretty good job—until I noticed Cait staring at me.

Michael's comment got Hawke's attention, and he proceeded to tell Michael that he didn't believe that Michael had never found the right woman—probably some reference to the fact that there are _so many_ attractive women working at Knightsbridge—at least, that's what I thought at the time, and the feelings of jealousy and depression that I'd been fighting since Stringfellow and Caitlin's wedding suddenly returned.

"Hey, Marella," Caitlin said, and I hoped Hawke couldn't hear her, "you okay?" I could see the concern in her eyes, and I knew I had to be honest with her.

"No, I'm not," I said. "I just...I can't believe Michael would say something like that."

"Doesn't he know how you feel about him?" Caitlin asked.

"Well...no, he doesn't," I admitted, and the realization hit me like a burst of chain gun fire from Airwolf. Now, I understood why Michael had made the comment he had, and I resolved, one way or another, to let him know exactly how I felt about him.

"Well, Hawke," Michael replied, smiling at both Hawke and Dominic, "I guess I'll say the same thing to you that you said to Dominic a while back—if the FIRM wanted me to have a wife, they would've assigned me one!" I caught myself when I heard Michael utter the same words that Stringfellow had eight months ago. And, I also knew that the only person who could do to Michael what he had done to Stringfellow Hawke would be Zeus. _But the odds of that happening are slim...and none,_ I said to myself dejectedly. _And, I think slim is gone._

A few weeks later, during another of our after-mission discussions, Lauren informed us that Zeus wanted to see Michael and me in his office..._immediately._ Michael hesitated, then asked if Zeus would mind if the Hawkes and Dominic came with us, and Lauren said she didn't think he would mind.

Zeus greeted all of us, paying special notice to Caitlin's new last name, which she acknowledged with a polite nod and smile directed back at Zeus, then he proceeded to try to tell all of us to relax—which, I could tell, _really _made Michael nervous...and that, in all honesty, made _me_ nervous—the only time Zeus has ever told either of us to relax has been when he was about to drop a serious bombshell on us.

"What is this all about, Zeus?" Michael demanded. I have to admit, I was curious as well. _Zeus rarely interrupts an after-mission discussion like this,_ I said to myself.

"Michael, relax," Zeus replied, with an uncharacteristic smile. "Actually, though, this does concern the both of you. You see, Michael," Zeus continued, "the Committee has made a decision recently. We have decided"—Zeus hesitated for a moment, much as I guessed Michael had eight months ago before he sprang the "assignment" on Hawke—"that you need a wife."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. _Well...so much for my theory that Zeus wouldn't do something like this. __Would __Michael go through with __it? __And m__arry me, that is,_ I asked myself. _He...he doesn't even know how I feel about him. Well...I'll just have to show him how I feel,_ I determined.

"Nonsense, Michael," Zeus replied, shaking his head. "After considering how much marriage has improved Mr. Hawke's disposition"—Zeus nodded at Caitlin, who merely smiled and nodded back to him—"The Committee has decided that you might benefit from a similar...assignment." He caught the expressions on both Michael's face, and mine, and moved to reassure us.

"Archangel...surely you don't think I had anyone else in mind than Marella for this...assignment?" I wondered if my expression just then told him all he needed to know. "Archangel...it's obvious to me how you feel about Marella...actually, it's probably obvious to most everyone in this room," he continued. "And I have a hunch that the feeling is mutual between the two of you. So...I expect the two of you to get married, ASAP, and to begin working on...shall we say...the next generation of Deputy Director? Or maybe the next generation of the Deputy Director's personal aide?" _Like I said before...I love the FIRM's euphemisms for having kids,_ I said to myself, knowing that my expression was bordering somewhere between anticipation and shock. Michael's face, however, was as red as Caitlin's hair, and I imagined that this conversation was not doing his blood pressure any good.

"Zeus, you can't be serious," Michael protested, completely ignoring my expression. "I mean, yes, I did the same thing to Hawke...and I'm pleased to see how well that has worked out, but you can't seriously think that I would..." Michael stopped himself as Hawke walked up to stand next to him.

"Michael," Hawke said, "at least think about what Zeus is suggesting. You never know," he continued, winking at me, and then at Caitlin, "you might wind up as happy as we are." Hawke turned and smiled at his wife, even as he noticed Dom trying to stifle a laugh from behind them, and Michael finally lost the tenuous hold he had on his temper.

"Mind your own goddamned business, Hawke!" Michael roared, angrily. I have to admit, his tone of voice and volume startled even me. Then I noticed Michael getting embarrassed, and I guessed that he recalled Hawke saying almost the same thing to him eight months ago, when this whole thing started.

"I'm sorry, Hawke," Michael quickly said, and I wondered whether he realized how hostile he really sounded. "That was uncalled for."

"Apology accepted, Michael," Hawke replied. "Guess now you know how I felt eight months ago." Once again, I found myself marveling at how easily Stringfellow was able to forgive Michael for getting angry.

"As a matter of fact, Hawke, I do," Michael replied. He quickly turned back to Zeus.

"Zeus, if there's nothing else..."

"No, no, nothing else. You're all dismissed," Zeus said, then added, "Archangel, think about what I've said...because I expect a decision within 48 hours."

"So, Michael," Hawke said when we were all back in Michael's office, "what are you going to do?"

"I...don't know, Hawke," Michael replied, and I hoped he hadn't noticed my expression turn decidedly downcast at his statement. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, Michael, you only have 48 hours to figure it out," Hawke said with a smile. "So don't take too long thinking it over. Let me give you a small piece of advice—go with your feelings...that's what I did eight months ago. And," he smiled at Caitlin as she walked over to him and they slipped their arms around each other, "I can honestly say I've never been happier."

"I can see that," Michael said, grinning. "And personally, I hope I never _stop_ seeing it. All right, Hawke...I'll think about it."

Hawke, Caitlin and Dom left a few minutes later, leaving Michael and me alone in the office, and Michael's temper boiled over once again. "I can't believe it! He was spying on me! _ME, _for God's sake!" _Make that, Michael's temper exploded again,_ I said to myself, more frightened of him than I'd ever been. Almost before I knew what I was doing, I spun on my heel and fled from his office, slamming the door behind me. By the time I got to my desk, I was a nervous wreck, and I had to go to the ladies' room for several minutes, so no one would see me crying.

I decided the best course of action would be avoidance—I didn't want anything to do with Archangel, after what had just happened. And I was also thinking about my future with the FIRM, and with Michael—I couldn't continue serving as his personal aide, knowing how I feel about him, if he was going to be that hostile towards me.

_Guess now I know how Caitlin felt,_ I said to myself that night as I once again cried myself to sleep. _Maybe...maybe I'll get a happy ending...just like she did. I...I sure hope so._

That night at home, I found myself thinking about Michael's actions at Red Star, when he grabbed me and threw me down on the floor just as Moffet opened fire...and I realized something...even as I was hearing the screams of the injured and the dying all around us, I was wishing that we were somewhere else...so that Michael could...make love to me. I know that sounds incredibly selfish, but I can't deny that was how I felt.

The next day, I continued avoiding Michael as much as possible, and finally, just before we left for the evening, Michael cornered me. "Marella...may I speak with you for a second?"

"Yes, Michael?" I replied. I had tried to keep my nerves from carrying through to my voice—but Michael's expression told me that I'd failed, miserably.

"You've been acting awfully strange today, Marella—is something wrong?" Michael queried, and the concern in his voice was obvious to me.

"I'm—I'm sorry, Michael," I stammered in answer to him, "I just thought it would be better if I avoided you until you made up your mind."

"Ah, yes...the 'assignment,'" Michael sighed, then he surprised me by taking hold of my hand. "What do you say you come to my house for dinner tonight...and we can discuss it further?"

Fighting a wave of tears, I glanced down at our joined hands, nodded, then whispered, "I—I think I'd like that, Michael." Just before he let go of my hand, I noticed something—_Even with the differences in __our skin tones...I couldn't tell where my fingers ended and his began. Now I know we belong together. And tonight, one way or the other, I'm going to make Michael see that, too._

That night as we ate, Michael decided to ask my feelings about Zeus' assignment.

"So, Marella...I guess you have a few...questions about why I asked you to come here this evening," Michael said nervously, and I thought to myself how nervous he sounded—a lot like a teenaged boy on his first date—and _certainly _more nervous than I've ever heard him sound.

"That's an understatement, Michael," I replied, and smiled at him to calm his nerves..._and mine,_ I said to myself. "You've never invited anyone to your home for dinner...even Hawke. It...surprised me, I'll have to admit."

"Well," Michael replied, "I've been thinking a lot about what Zeus told me yesterday...and...I came to realize something last night."

"What was that, Michael?" I asked anxiously, and I wondered if Michael had finally realized what I _hoped_ he would.

"Marella...I realized last night that...that I love you," Michael said, and I felt tears flood my eyes. "And, I've loved you for a very long time. I've just been too stubborn, or stupid, to admit it, until now."

"Oh, Michael," I replied, knowing my emotions were shining in my eyes, "I love you, too. I think I've loved you ever since that day at Red Star...and I've been hoping for a long time to hear those words from you." I was ecstatic, yet surprised, when I saw Michael stand up, walk around the table to where I sat, then he took my hand and pulled me from my chair, and kissed me. And I couldn't help noticing that we fit against each other, perfectly. _Now, I know we belong together,_ I said to myself, feeling the emotions of the kiss washing over me with every second that we held each other. _As if I ever doubted it before tonight. _Finally, Michael separated us, knowing that we needed to breathe as much as we needed each other.

"There's something I never told you about that day at Red Star," Michael said after we had separated and caught our breath.

"What, Michael?" I asked him, anxiously.

"There's...a reason I did what I did, Marella," Michael continued. "I—I just couldn't imagine my life without you. Even then...I was in love with you."

"Michael...I have a confession to make," I said, smiling at him—the special smile that I knew would forever be reserved for him—"I've loved you since that day, too. Guess we were both just too stubborn to admit it."

"I guess so," Michael agreed.

"So...what do we do now?" I asked. "There is still that assignment we have to think about."

"Well, I think we need to get to know each other better...on a more personal level," Michael said. "I mean, we've worked together for the past three years, but we still don't know each other beyond that...and I think even though we know how we feel about each other, we'd only be doing ourselves a disservice by getting married too soon."

I moved closer in Michael's arms, then replied, "I like the way you think, Michael...I just hope it doesn't take too long." Then I kissed him again.

"By the way," Michael said after I let him up for air, "I...I owe you an apology for my outburst yesterday afternoon...it was...uncalled for, and I'm sorry if I frightened you."

"Thank you, Michael," I said, relieved that he'd realized what I was feeling. "Apology accepted." I smiled at him, a similar smile to the one I gave him and Sen. Dietz that fateful day at Red Star. _Except this time, it's all for Michael,_ I said to myself.

By the time I went home, several hours later, I was feeling a combination of extreme happiness and profound disappointment—happiness because Michael and I finally knew how we felt about each other...but disappointment that things...hadn't gone further between us. _Oh, well,_ I said to myself as I climbed into my bed alone that night, _there will be time for all that...later. _I sighed happily, the extreme happiness taking over my mind once again as I wondered what the future held for Michael and me.

Two days later, the day _after_ Michael was supposed to have given Zeus his decision on the 'assignment,' I heard Zeus angrily page Michael to his office, and when he didn't ask me to go with him, I got concerned. Okay, forget concerned—I was worried _sick._ I didn't know what frame of mind Zeus might have been in, and I was afraid for Michael.

A few minutes later, though, Michael returned, and he seemed happy with the way things had gone.

"Well? How did Zeus take the news?" I asked him.

"About as well as could be expected," Michael replied, shaking his head. "Zeus is none too happy that I found...shall I say, a loophole in his assignment. But, like we discussed at dinner the other night, we don't know each other well enough, personally, to think about marriage. Although," Michael continued, and I noticed a mischievous grin crossing his face, "I don't think it's going to take too much longer."

"I like the way you think, Michael," I replied, moving closer to him. Remembering where we were, I placed a friendly kiss on his cheek before I walked out of Michael's office_, _giving him a show as I swayed my hips ever-so-seductively as I walked out.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we began seeing each other, personally, almost every night, and every night it became clearer to us just how much we loved each other. One day, during another post-mission conversation, Hawke noticed something.

"Michael, you seem...different," Hawke said in Archangel's office.

"In what way, Hawke?" Michael asked innocently.

"I can't really put my finger on it...but something's different about you. You seem...I don't know...happier, I guess," Hawke said hesitantly.

"Well, Hawke," Michael said, glancing at me and smiling, "I am happy...I'm happier than I've been in a long time. I think...I think Zeus might have had the right idea."

"_I heard that, Michael!_" Zeus' voice came over the loudspeakers in Michael's office.

"I know, Zeus," Michael replied to the air, and I suppressed a grin. "I suspected you might be listening in—that's why I said it." I noticed Michael couldn't help himself—he'd grinned at Hawke, Dom and Caitlin. Then, surprisingly, Michael proceeded to invite them all, including me, to his house for dinner the next evening.

"Shall we say...around 7:30?" I asked.

"Sounds good, Michael," Hawke agreed, and Caitlin nodded her agreement.

"Good...I'll see you all at 7:30 tomorrow, then." I said with a smile.

"Michael? What is this about?" I demanded, with a smile.

"What do you mean, Marella?"

"You inviting us all over for dinner tomorrow night," I said, still confused. "Are you planning something?"

"Maybe," Michael said, with an air of mystery that I should have expected from him, given his position and everything—but it still irritated me. The next day, I tried numerous times to get Michael to tell me what was going to happen tomorrow night at dinner...and I tried _all_ my feminine wiles on him. Of course I knew I was fighting a losing battle—Michael has had classes in resisting torture, after all, the same as I have—I _hoped_ that he didn't consider anything I was saying...or _doing_...to be torture, though. But no matter what I tried, Michael refused to break, telling me only, "It's a surprise, Marella," just before we left Knightsbridge for the day.

Then, just before I left, Michael said, "I'll see you at 7:30 tonight, then?"

"Yes, Michael," I replied, more confused than ever.

I arrived at Michael's home a few minutes before 7:30, and was not surprised to find that no one else had arrived yet. Once again, I tried to get Michael to explain what was going on, but all he would tell me was, "Have patience, Marella." Which, I have to admit, _really_ got me curious—I mean, I began wondering, with the people we consider our closest friends in the world there with us, would Michael finally get around to asking me to marry him?

A few minutes later, Caitlin, Stringfellow, and Dominic arrived. Caitlin quickly walked over to me and said, "You okay?" _She must have seen something on my face, _I said to myself, deciding I'd be honest about my feelings.

"Not really," I admitted. "I'm just so...nervous. I've been wondering all day why Michael decided to do this tonight...and I still haven't figured it out. I mean...I know what I _hope_ Michael's planning to do, but I'm still nervous...especially if he..."

"Well, Marella, I wouldn't worry about it," Caitlin replied with a smile. "Hawke hasn't been able to figure Michael out, either. And, don't worry," Caitlin added, "If Michael _doesn't _propose tonight, I'll make sure and tell him what an idiot he is!" Caitlin and I grinned at each other as Hawke and Michael came over to them.

"And what are you ladies conspiring about?" Hawke asked, slipping his arm around Caitlin's shoulders as she slipped hers around his waist.

"Oh, girl talk, String," Caitlin replied, smiling at him. "Nothin' you'd be interested in." String simply smiled and nodded as we headed into the dining room for dinner.

I kept trying to get Michael to disclose what he was up to all through the meal, but every time she brought it up, Michael simply smiled and said, "Later, Marella." Finally, I gave up until we were back in the living room after dinner.

When we had retired to Michael's living room, I began thinking to myself, _Okay, that's it. I'm losing __my patience here. _Michael must have seen how frustrated I was getting, because he quickly asked Dom to fix everyone a glass of champagne, which _really_ got me curious. Finally, when we all had our drinks, Michael sat me down in a chair at one end of the room, and I felt my emotions rising again. My suspicions, hopes, and dreams were finally confirmed a moment later when Michael slowly got down on one knee, holding a small maroon velvet box which I saw contained a beautiful diamond engagement ring. I felt tears flood my eyes when Michael said, "Marella...will you marry me?"

I couldn't find my voice for a minute...actually, probably longer than Michael would have liked. Finally, though, I thought I could answer him. "God, yes, Michael! Yes, of course I'll marry you!" I furiously wiped the tears out of my eyes with my right hand as Michael slipped the ring onto the third finger of my left hand, then drew me to my feet and kissed me, as I heard Dominic, Stringfellow and Caitlin applauding.

"Congratulations, Marella...and you too, Michael!" Hawke exclaimed, as he shook Michael's hand, then gave me a friendly kiss on the cheek. Dom did the same, and Caitlin embraced both Michael and me.

"I hope this isn't going to be too long of an engagement, Michael," Hawke said with a grin.

"I'll be calling Judge Clevenger first thing tomorrow," Michael replied, and I decided there was something I needed to do. As Michael, String, and Dominic talked, I pulled Caitlin aside and asked her, "Cait...would you consider being my matron of honor?"

"Absolutely," Caitlin said, grinning, just as we heard Hawke agree to be Michael's best man.

"Then this will work perfectly," I said as Caitlin and I came over to them, "since Cait agreed to be my matron of honor. And, I have one other request. Dominic...would you"—I wondered if he knew what I was asking, but he simply smiled and said, "The pleasure...and the honor...will be all mine, Marella."

"Thank you, Dominic," I said, still not believing that everything had fallen into place tonight.

"We'll let you know when we'd like to get married, Hawke," Michael said as they shook hands once again.

"Okay, Michael," Hawke replied, then added, "and congratulations again."

"Thank you, Hawke," Michael said, smiling, "and good night."

As we watched them leave, I hoped that Michael could pick up on what I was feeling—now that we were engaged, I wanted him...desperately. As soon as the door closed behind the Hawkes and Dominic, I grabbed Michael and kissed him with everything I had, and quickly felt him returning my passion with his own. When we separated, I hoped he could read the desire in my eyes, and he did without me having to say a word, scooping me up in his arms and carrying me to his bedroom, where we made love all night long...actually, until early the next morning, which caused us to be late getting to the office. When we did, though, the first thing Michael did was call Judge Clevenger, to see if he could marry us a week from Saturday, which, to be honest, I thought wasn't nearly soon enough—but, it was the soonest we could work everything out with Ron, and the Hawkes, so I figured I'd just...deal with it.

As we stood at the door of Hawke's cabin and waited for the ceremony to start, I remembered getting dressed with Caitlin in the bedroom of the cabin, and I think she noticed something wasn't right with me. "You okay, Marella?" Caitlin asked, worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine, Cait," I replied, smiling at her. "Just..."

"A little nervous?" Caitlin asked, and I don't think she was surprised when I nodded affirmatively.

"Don't be, Marella," Caitlin said, smiling at her friend. "Everything's gonna be fine today...you'll see. I felt the same way eight months ago, before I married String."

"I certainly hope so, Caitlin," I said as my personal assistant, Jacqueline, put the finishing touches on our makeup. Then I added, "And I remember how you were the day you married String...you didn't seem nervous at all."

"Then I guess I hid it well," Caitlin said. "I may not have looked it, but that day, I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs!" Caitlin and I both laughed.

"Well, Caitlin, you did hide your nerves well that day," I agreed, and I hoped I'd be able to hide mine as well, when the ceremony started.

"Y'know, I dunno why we went to all that trouble," Caitlin said, smiling again. "That makeup's probably gonna be ruined before the ceremony even starts."

"You're probably right, Cait," I agreed, taking a few final, deep breaths. "Okay," I finally said, "go tell Dom to get everything ready, all right?"

"Sure," Caitlin replied, and went downstairs.

A few minutes later, Dom escorted me to Michael's side, and the ceremony began. And just like Caitlin had figured, my eyes were full of tears, and my makeup ruined. But when I looked up at Michael, I saw _his_ good eye had tears in it as well. Finally, after we had exchanged vows and rings, I heard the words I had begun to think I would never hear—"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Coldsmith-Briggs!" Once again, I heard our dearest friends applaud as Michael took me in his arms and kissed me. _I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that, _I said to myself. _Finally...I'm Mrs. Coldsmith-Briggs. I'm Michael's wife._ We finally separated and began accepting congratulations from the small group, which I noticed included Zeus, once again uncharacteristically smiling.

Zeus stepped in front of us, and I couldn't help but notice that he was smiling. "I told you this before, Michael, but it's about damned time! Now, I have one other...small request," he continued.

"Yes, Zeus?" Michael asked, concerned.

Zeus simply shook his hand and said, "Don't make me have to chaperone any rooms back at Knightsbridge when you return from your honeymoon in two weeks. We have closets for that." He gave me a friendly peck on the cheek, and smiled at both of us again. Personally, I was shocked that Zeus would make an insinuation like that, and I let him know it.

"_SIR!"_ I cried out, shocked. "You can't believe that we would behave unprofessionally while at work!"

"Actually, I don't believe you would, Marella," Zeus replied. "Nor would Michael, I don't think."

"No, Zeus. We will maintain the highest possible professionalism at all times while in the office, you have our word," Michael said.

"I'm glad to hear that," Zeus replied simply. I couldn't help but wonder what Michael _might_ do, though, when we were at work, if our emotions threatened to take over for our normal good judgment.

Later that evening, after we had left the cabin and returned home, Michael carried me across the threshold of our home, smiling at me as he did so. Once he'd set me back down, our feelings for each other erupted once again in a passionate kiss. Finally, Michael separated us and said, "Welcome home, Mrs. Coldsmith-Briggs." I hoped he noticed the smile come to my face when I heard my new last name.

"Thank you, Michael," I said, and I wondered if he saw the tears in my eyes. "I never thought I could be so happy."

"I'll do my best to make sure you stay happy for the rest of our lives, Marella, my dear," Michael replied.

"And I'll do the same for you, my love," I promised him, just as he swept me into his arms and carried me to the bedroom, where we proceeded to show each other just how in love we were.

Later that evening, as I fell asleep wrapped in my husband's arms, I thought back to the few simple words that started this whole thing—_You know the old saying: If the FIRM had wanted me to have a wife, they would have assigned me one!_ I couldn't keep a few tears from my eyes as I felt Michael's arms around me, and I wondered what might have happened if neither he nor Hawke had uttered those words. _I guess I'll never know,_ I said to myself happily as I slipped into sleep, but not before I took one last look at my engagement and wedding rings. _Who would have thought that a few simple words could make four people so happy?_ I asked myself as I fell asleep wrapped in the embrace of the man I loved, the man who I would forever call my husband. _Thank you __for making me your wife, Michael,_ I said to myself with a contented sigh as sleep finally claimed me.


End file.
